RE: Why should we love love beyond what is necessary for gene survival?
August 17, 2010 at 5:04 am
Empathy and caring for others have evolutionary benefits. Looking after children for example, and being loyal to friends have evolutionary benefits because back in prehistoric times especially, it is important that people stand together as a group as that is where our strength as humans rise.
And helping complete strangers that aren't even part of the 'in group' I would say is a misfiring evolutionary by-product from the genes of genuine beneficial caring for the 'in-group'. A pleasant misfiring by-product though
And going further than that, culture then adds on top of genetic morality so it becomes not just evolution of genetic morals, but also memetic morals, the moral Zeitgeist. Morals that come from culture. Ethics in other words.
And helping complete strangers that aren't even part of the 'in group' I would say is a misfiring evolutionary by-product from the genes of genuine beneficial caring for the 'in-group'. A pleasant misfiring by-product though
And going further than that, culture then adds on top of genetic morality so it becomes not just evolution of genetic morals, but also memetic morals, the moral Zeitgeist. Morals that come from culture. Ethics in other words.
