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Life Arts    H4'ed 5/16/11

Morals are the genes of societal evolution.

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   4 comments
Message Frish Frishberg

Human Social Evolution utilizes morals precisely as genes provide the fabric for evolution.

In biologic evolution, genes express themselves as "behavior" that, if "right", allows that population to continue.  

If "wrong" that population goes extinct.  

(I put parentheses by way of acknowledging that plants don't have "behavior" as humans do, but they too are at the mercy of evolution for their continuing existence!  "Behavior" in this case is still about genes expressing themselves and being "selected" or not.)

The same evolutionary mechanism serves to evolve human populations (Nations/societies/ tribes/families).

Groups of humans have a common goal to have the group continue.

Morals are the behaviors, both encouraged and prohibited, that define a society's social contract with individuals.

If people behave according to societal dictates, the goals of the society are supported.  If those goals are able to overcome the multitude of "environmental" factors, that society continues and its morals (right behavior) are justifiably credited.

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Morals - Culturally relative (no surprise) and Culturally relevant

At the most basic level, we're social primates, and therefore have to get along in groups.

EVERY RELIGION/PHILOSOPHY ON EARTH RECOGNIZES THE GOLDEN RULE:  it's  built into our genome!
Morality is a capacity within individuals.  We all contain "pre-programming" for morality, infants display moral behaviors from birth, all peoples have morals world-wide, etc.  

As with language, and learned concurrently, a specific mix of right behaviors provide for the continued existence of a society.  

Morals help define behavior in groups of individuals.

Morals are learned within one's nation/culture/society/tribe/family.

Language and observation both provide means whereby people absorb (install?) morals, even to the way one thinks about an issue, since "acting morally" frequently means thinking morally (in support of one's society, family, self, depending, since morals are relative!).
Growing up in a culture defines moral teachings for an individual; those morals are also RELEVANT for a society!
Consider the following hypothetical:

Jews are forbidden pork.   

Micronesians celebrate pigs.

Both are acting "morally", and would say the other is acting immorally, or irrationally.

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Concerned CITIZEN of the USA, Frish decided at age 8 (1963) that, since there were "starving children in China" he would never have children, as there obviously were too many! BA Archaeology, MBA Marketing, 15 years of new product development (more...)
 
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