[lbo-talk] Left-neoliberalism: a bold strategy for the year 1999

c b cb31450 at gmail.com
Fri Aug 5 14:48:33 PDT 2011



> Humans are neither innately selfish nor innately co-operative. But have the capacity to be either, as might best befit the material circumstances they face. And we adapt to most such circumstances socially, not biologically. By evolving appropriate cultures.

^^^^^ CB: The human species is "innately" more social ( or cooperative) less individualistic than other species ( these  generalizations about the human species are always relative or comparative statements with generalizations about other species)in a number of ways.  Humans have a longer childhood than other species. So, all humans must go through a longer period in which they , as children, are dependent upon their parents being "cooperative" less they not survive.  All others species children are more independent of parents at an earlier age. This longer term of  human childhood/parenting has a significant innate component. For one thing the longer period to mature is clearly genetically based. Further, the human parents' inclination to give care longer has an innate component.

Human labor is more social than the labor of other species. Even more social than the labor of ants or bees. Human production has reached its highest level of socialization with capitalism ( Who knew what power there was in the lap of social labor). There is a world wide web of labor. Human labor is also more social than that of other species bacause it is culturally organized. See next paragraph

Human sociality is also has a qualitatively unique component in that custom, tradition or culture makes a living human generation connected and "cooperating" with many dead generations of the human species.  No other species have as much connection to the experiences of past , now dead generations.  This is the major signfiicance of language and culture in defining our species.   Social determinist theories express this important fact.  The statement above " we adapt to most such circumstances socially, not biologically" expresses this critical central aspect of human society.



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