XPost: alt.philosophy, talk.politics.libertarian, alt.anarchism   
   XPost: alt.religion   
   From: briquenoir@freeuk.c0m   
      
   James A. Donald  wrote in message   
   news:1s38c21p7g7n2e9s98pgkc54l7q1h2rn3t@4ax.com...   
   > ralph   
   > > But the use of "morality" in the context of chimp   
   > > behaviour seems a step too far. We did not evolve from   
   > > chimps, and have not been in the kind of social   
   > > groupings they have today.   
   >   
   > We evolved from the common ancestor of chimps and   
   > humans.  Behavior common to chimps and humans, is   
   > probably representative of that common ancestor.   
   >   
   > Now chimps, compared to people, behave very badly - but   
   > whereas cats are entirely amoral, and wolves and dogs   
   > more moral than humans, chimps are somewhat moral.   
      
   Moral by what standard? Walt Disneys?   
      
      
   >   
   > James A. Donald:   
   > > > The larger the community, the more it is full of   
   > > > strangers, of people you don't know and don't care   
   > > > much about, the less compelling the reasons for   
   > > > ethical behavior.  In a large community, if you burn   
   > > > someone, you can probably find new people to burn,   
   > > > but in a small community, if you burn someone, you   
   > > > are hosed, you cannot repeat the scam, and they are   
   > > > likely to get back to you.   
   >   
   > ralph   
   > > Stone age cultures discovered in recent times usually   
   > > had little contact and less amity between adjoining   
   > > villages, and that seems to me the best pointer to the   
   > > behavioiur of our ancestors.   
   >   
   > But within the village, you had a reasonable level of   
   > amity.   
   >   
   > It was often the case that the village was in a state of   
   > war or near war with all surrounding villages - but it   
   > was also often not the case.  While the threat of war   
   > was omnipresent, keeping it to a threat, rather than an   
   > actuality, required one to refrain from murdering   
   > strangers.   
   >   
   > James A. Donald:   
   > > > Thus for many millions of years, the ability to   
   > > > judge people as good or evil has been critical for   
   > > > survival. Judge wrong, you get screwed, possibly you   
   > > > get your throat cut.   
   >   
   > ralph   
   > > Homo sapiens sapiens hasn't been in existence for   
   > > "many millions of years" less than one,   
   >   
   > Beings who judge others as moral or immoral have been in   
   > existence for many millions of years.   
      
   Then they sent their only Son, James, to lead mankind into the light........   
      
   >   
   > --   
   >   ----------------------   
   > We have the right to defend ourselves and our property, because   
   > of the kind of animals that we are. True law derives from this   
   > right, not from the arbitrary power of the omnipotent state.   
   >   
   > http://www.jim.com/      James A. Donald   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)