Don't tell Ayn Rand

[Liberator]

So social animals like us have naturally socialistic tendencies. Well well oodathunkit? It fits another finding that people work better and more willingly when asked to lend a hand than when offered money. My guess is that volunteering reinforces a sense of relationship (and probable reciprocal obligation which will reinforce it again) while payment depersonalises.

But when did market Darwinism[//i] become orthodoxy? It certainly was not until 'the world' went mad post-1980 in the belief that price was the only measure of value.

But then what else should one expect of Californian social scientists?

Social scientists build case for 'survival of the kindest'

By Yasmin Anwar, Media Relations | 08 December 2009

BERKELEY — Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are challenging long-held beliefs that human beings are wired to be selfish. In a wide range of studies, social scientists are amassing a growing body of evidence to show we are evolving to become more compassionate and collaborative in our quest to survive and thrive.

In contrast to "every man for himself" interpretations of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, Dacher Keltner, a UC Berkeley psychologist and author of "Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life," and his fellow social scientists are building the case that humans are successful as a species precisely because of our nurturing, altruistic and compassionate traits.

They call it "survival of the kindest."

"Because of our very vulnerable offspring, the fundamental task for human survival and gene replication is to take care of others," said Keltner, co-director of UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. "Human beings have survived as a species because we have evolved the capacities to care for those in need and to cooperate. As Darwin long ago surmised, sympathy is our strongest instinct.”


UC Berkely News

[beth]

Well, certainly, I think that's the natural way of things within families. Doesn't mean all family members feel that way or that all families are caring. Following crime news is a good way to become quite jaded, but statistics wise, the families who are uncaring are in the minority, I believe.

Taking the "survival of the kindest" to the next step, it does appear the individuals and families who live in small towns, villages and neighborhood areas of cities usually pull together - especially in instances of emergency or threat of harm.

At what point does this kind of caring and loyalty stop? Schools have fierce rivalries and, sometimes, so do businesses. Does it always depend on whether honors or money or possessions are involved?

[Liberator]

Schools create rivalries. They are part of training for an artificially competitive world - as if the world did not have enough natural obstacles! I think the degree of feeling a relationship exists already influences readiness to develop it further. An exception may be when a feeling of universal fear binds large groups together. Pressure forces people together. Otherwise there comes a point where any natural sense of something in common breaks down and it does need impersonal commercial relations to make things work.

That may be why large-scale society always takes a monarchical direction. Every individual can feel a personal relationship with the Leader. Where there isn't a Leader as such there are still followers devoted to various people who've never heard of them and probably wouldn't want to. I suppose personal religion is of the same order.

Maybe we never quite grow up and maybe in turn never quite growing up to live completely isolated within ourselves without feeling the need to belong is a feature of high intelligence and emotion that is developing towards a universal belonging at some later stage. Universality is there in the ideals of every major religion and the philosophy of some goes beyond simply loving your neighbour to say that you are your neighbour and they are you if you did but know it and separate identity is a delusion we need to cure. Philosophically/i], I tend to agree with them. Practically and emotionally I don't think it's humanly possible but probably will be part of future post-human evolution.

"Feel compassion for all living beings" - if only because living is a horrible state to go through.

[clemiethedog]

Last fall a company was busted for over-billing for contract work at the Trade Center site. The company's name? Galt Enterprises. Wonderfully appropriate.

[beth]

Jan 28, 2010 17:59:07 GMT clemiethedog said:

Last fall a company was busted for over-billing for contract work at the Trade Center site. The company's name? Galt Enterprises. Wonderfully appropriate.

That's just strange. It reminds me that, years ago, we'd check the phone directory for John Galt in larger cities when we were traveling. Even found a few. Arrgh!