[lbo-talk] A Note on Human Nature

jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net
Mon Jan 2 12:42:30 PST 2006



> January 1, 2006 Why I'm Happy I Evolved By OLIVIA JUDSON
>
> "No other animal that I have heard of can live so peaceably in such
> close quarters with so many individuals that are unrelated. No other
> animal routinely bothers to help the sick and the dying, or tries to
> save those hurt in an earthquake or flood." From "Why I'm Happy I
> Evolved" By OLIVIA JUDSON January 1, 2006.
> http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/opinion/01judson.html
>
> It is interesting that these sentences apply to 99% or so of the human
> species 99% or so of the time, including gangbangers, Bush voters, and
> West Point cadets -- they even apply to intellectuals who defend the
> death penalty in the U.S.
>
> Carrol

Who is this evolutionary biologist that knows so little about animal behavior that she makes this silly statement?

She knows damn well there are many symbiotic species who live together without preying upon each other and who actively work to defend a species vastly different from themselves. These species are far less related to one another that one human is from another.

Where is she getting the numbers to support the contention that; "No other animal routinely bothers to help the sick and the dying, or tries to save those hurt in an earthquake or flood."?

Can she show me that a higher percentage of the human population does this than do dogs? Can she break it down to dogs trained to do so vs. those not trained to do so?

Comparing and making moral judgements concerning the behaviors of different species in different environments is just silly. This certainly doesn't make me want to read her book "Dr Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation". Too bad, I was considering it after reading about her controversial decision to support the planned extinction of the Anopheles and Aedes mosquitos.

John Thornton



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