Hi. It's Frish, still putting the I in Fresh!
I love the Morality Info-graphic.
To follow on from the prior, if Swine Flu were to jump the porcine=human divide, the Polynesians would be wiped out...that's an example of a societal norm (eating and reveling in pork) causing great societal disruption, depending on environmental factors...like disease.
As you (Mynga and Paul...Hey!) probably forgot, I was on the original group that was to produce such an item. So I know a little bit about the notion.
I think I can put the info-graphic into a larger context, we can discuss not only what we observe, but why it HAS to be this way!
Here's my brief thesis, it needs substantiation, but is quite common sense, so I know it is also true! (My BA in Anthro may finally be useful!).
Morality is an expression of our social primate heritage (as the infographic shows, probably our common ancestor with Chimps also expressed morality).
We are social animals, which implies several things.
We're capable of forming groups.
Groups imply leaders and followers.
More on that below.
Another way to say it and the infographic supports this notion:
The "golden rule" is built into our DNA!
That's how we can even form groups to begin with,
because we CAN recognize ourselves in others.
The graphic shows a 14 month old being altruistic, however, far younger children, even pre-verbal ones, know right from wrong!
Morality is the expression of our social primate past, it's what allows us to be social, and therefore societal NORMS can be judged moral or not, in cultural context.
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Here's an example of what I'm trying to convey...
Muslims are forbidden pork, Polynesians celebrate pork.
While each finds the other "heretical" or crazy, both are correct within their culture.
The larger viewpoint in this case is that pigs compete with people for food in the Middle East, they eat our grain.
So there is a very natural and rational reason for what would otherwise seem an apparently arbitrary religious doctrine.
In Polynesia, pigs eats tubers, which are plentiful, and although also human food, pork chops taste better, and, pigs can used used to transfer value in that culture, as they are.
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The cultural relativism is very much important, since NORMS (the way people in a culture actually act, instead of what's supposed to be moral, for example, perhaps we can find a Muslim with Trichinosis...) are what allow a society to evolve.
To follow on from the prior, if Swine Flu were to jump the porcine=human divide, the Polynesians would be wiped out...that's an example of a societal norm (eating and reveling in pork) causing great societal disruption, depending on environmental factors...like disease.
NORMS (how we act, the connection to morality) are therefore the Genes of Societal Evolution.
If those "genes" are expressed in an environment that isn't conducive, the degradation or extinction of society follows!
There is a further implication, relating to "leaders and followers".
There are, by definition, more followers than leaders.
If the leader provides good advice, and the NORMS practiced by that culture are successful, the leader and that 'platform' are used to produce the next generation of this society.
If the leader is unsuccessful (in ending the drought, for example), they are either replaced, or, the norms taught by that leader lead to disintegration of the society!
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Perhaps you could forward this to whomever is on the "committee" or to the listed experts, to see if we can put it in a larger context, which only shores up the conclusions.
Cheers, happy to discuss with whomever, and thanks for the chance to participate.
And Happy Autumnal Equinox, while we're at it!
Much love to all,
Frish
Fearless Leader, LA Brights
