(February 22, 2015 at 2:29 am)The Reality Salesman Wrote: Some people tend to think that we humans are special in that since we are "wired" to seek out that which is most advantageous to the survival of our species and that of our offspring, that on an "animal level" or an Atheistic level, there is no reason to explain why we are able to override those urges and act differently.
Er, why is it assumed that what is most advantageous to our survival is selfishness or that dominating/harming other creatures is natural and a sign of "fitness"? Cooperation and altruism is a perfectly valid evolutionary strategy. Violence is risky and not something to be engaged in lightly. Cheating others in a social group is risky and not something to be engaged in lightly. That's the foundation of our moral impulses. When we expand our moral horizons, it's co-opting or strengthening mechanisms that are already there, isn't it?
