I always appreciate your perspective. thanks for getting to the cultural elements that drive social struggles. Policy changes matter, but ultimately biology still governs reality.
Excellent and very similar to what I wrote on Evolutionary Biology and the Soul Journey. We ignore the "Is" (biology) in the language of "Could/Should/Ought" (moral language) and fail to recognize that we are optimized for two different things.
Good stuff, Michael. I would add that most people fail to grapple with Hume's original is/ought distinction and conflate these routinely. This is not to argue that ought claims *ought* to be made independently of *is* claims (obviously, we must navigate reality with our normative claims). Instead, we must confront the *fact* that facts and values are two different kinds of claims and that values cannot be DERIVED from facts. Instrumental rationality helps us thread this needle: If you desire x, then do y. Or, in this case, *If you want to see the human species continue into the future, then you will endeavor to have children and raise them well.* Instrumental rationality helps to remove the temptation to conflate facts and values as a normative claim.
Exactly and great add with Hume. The same desires can be any sort of moral improvement though too. If you desire that women [x] then you have to understand the fundamtenals of Women [y]
I think by now we can safely say that these are not logical, sincere beliefs. They're held with too much brittleness, and there's too much emotion and moral shaming around them.
These are false social consensuses, created by women and erected by men who re more worried about their status and their social image than they are in ethical consistency or the promotion of a high-functioning society.
Hmmm. That's a bit amorphous, isn't it though? Can't you only replicate a very specific experiment or ritual procedure? "Studies" will alwaya reveall fresh data....
"We have to thread the needle: to build a culture that honors both the biological imperative and contemporary values without demanding that people suppress either."
This is a bit like saying we have both an antidote and a poison, and we need to learn to synthesize and reconcile them. Why not just get rid of the poison?
I don't know. I don't regard anyone's desire to be educated or career aspirations as a poison. I just think there is an imbalance in the values. Increasingly, probably due to old age, I find that the ancients were right about the Golden Mean. In that sense, I guess I agree that the 'dose makes the poison.' We just need to dial back the careerism a little and dial up the reverence for family formation again. Mothering and fathering are the world's most important occupations.
I always appreciate your perspective. thanks for getting to the cultural elements that drive social struggles. Policy changes matter, but ultimately biology still governs reality.
Maybe it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature: https://lizlasorte.substack.com/p/its-not-nice-to-fool-mother-nature?r=76q58&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
Excellent and very similar to what I wrote on Evolutionary Biology and the Soul Journey. We ignore the "Is" (biology) in the language of "Could/Should/Ought" (moral language) and fail to recognize that we are optimized for two different things.
More on that here: https://www.polymathicbeing.com/p/the-two-rules-of-life
Good stuff, Michael. I would add that most people fail to grapple with Hume's original is/ought distinction and conflate these routinely. This is not to argue that ought claims *ought* to be made independently of *is* claims (obviously, we must navigate reality with our normative claims). Instead, we must confront the *fact* that facts and values are two different kinds of claims and that values cannot be DERIVED from facts. Instrumental rationality helps us thread this needle: If you desire x, then do y. Or, in this case, *If you want to see the human species continue into the future, then you will endeavor to have children and raise them well.* Instrumental rationality helps to remove the temptation to conflate facts and values as a normative claim.
Exactly and great add with Hume. The same desires can be any sort of moral improvement though too. If you desire that women [x] then you have to understand the fundamtenals of Women [y]
I think by now we can safely say that these are not logical, sincere beliefs. They're held with too much brittleness, and there's too much emotion and moral shaming around them.
These are false social consensuses, created by women and erected by men who re more worried about their status and their social image than they are in ethical consistency or the promotion of a high-functioning society.
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/gynocracy
What is meant by "replication record of evol psych"?
It means evolutionary psychologists have studied the phenomenon and then replicated the studies.
Hmmm. That's a bit amorphous, isn't it though? Can't you only replicate a very specific experiment or ritual procedure? "Studies" will alwaya reveall fresh data....
Won't they ?
I encourage you to look more closely at David Buss's cross-cultural research on hypergamy. You can decide whether it's amorphous.
"We have to thread the needle: to build a culture that honors both the biological imperative and contemporary values without demanding that people suppress either."
This is a bit like saying we have both an antidote and a poison, and we need to learn to synthesize and reconcile them. Why not just get rid of the poison?
I don't know. I don't regard anyone's desire to be educated or career aspirations as a poison. I just think there is an imbalance in the values. Increasingly, probably due to old age, I find that the ancients were right about the Golden Mean. In that sense, I guess I agree that the 'dose makes the poison.' We just need to dial back the careerism a little and dial up the reverence for family formation again. Mothering and fathering are the world's most important occupations.
An accurate and fair description of a serious problem.