On 5 Sep, 2007, at 11:06 AM, Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
>
> [WS:] That is an important point, indeed. It suggests - in the
> light of the
> fact that the parts of brain associated with empathy are evolutionary
> 'early' vis a vis those responsible for 'higher' cognitive
> functions - that
> humans are probably less empathic than animals. That is to say,
> they are
> more able than other animals to "bracket out" empathic feelings and
> behavior
> motivated by them in favor of more 'rational' and 'detached' ones.
>
> <...>
>
> I am not trying to moralize here, but I think that Miles, and for that
> matter the scores of other species-centric folk who believe that
> humans are
> 'special', 'morally superior,' have a 'soul' and the kindred mumbo-
> jumbo -
> got it all backward. Humans are unique in that they are LESS
> empathic than
> other mammals (rather than more empathic) - or at least they can
> control and
> override their empathy by 'higher' cognitive functions of their brain.
> <...>
I am with you on most of the above. Also, I think the contrast between empathy and 'higher' congnitive functions (and the fact that they seem to play against each other), I believe, explains the natural and instinctive distrust (in the west) of cerebral leftists by the common folks. Or as Andie has put it, the common niceness of Carl and I being the only thing that prevents us from dragging the brainiacs into the fields and shooting them ;-).
--ravi