Herbert Gintis, Darwin and modern science, Thu 9 July

[izationalizer]

Gintis is so awesome. Even his Amazon reviews are brilliant and a pleasure to read. I'm neither an economist nor a behavioral psychologist--I study rhetoric and composition--so this might sound odd, but every once in a while, when I'm writing a dissertation chapter (or something) and my brain grows exhausted and befuddled over a particular problem, I'll stop and read the latest Gintis reviews on Amazon. They're invariably concise and incisive, and always seem to reinvigorate my intellect.

[distopiadnb]

It remains to be seen where all this hype on altruism will eventually lead, especially in normative terms. Humans are altruists and not selfish... and so? It is an extremely general statement, really as general as the opposite one. The difference being that under the enlightment vision of individuals there is still relevant space for altruism to be modelled, pace Gintis, while "altruistic" ancient societies force their component to be so. The final take on capitalism is pure ex-marxist naiveté.

[behold755]

This planet needs more extremely intelligent people like Herbert Gintis.

[matchingpennies2]

The cultural evolution revolution doesn't really get any coverage here, alas...

[Neanderthalcouzin]

I've actually watched this about 4 times.

It's really strange to read comments on creationism or religion for this video. Did those people watch the talk? 

[Alkhemist10]

compelled to assume in order to account for the phenomena of light &heat." Matter? "In perfect strictness, it is true that chemical investigation can tell us little or nothing, directly, of the composition of living matter." Energy? "The energy is that which is only known to us by its effects." matter is passive, if you know what the law of inertia negation is, you know an object at rest tends to stay at rest, so what is the superior active force in matter if not what man calls "god"?

[Xbizkitl]

I have never seen anyone as well read as this man...

[Muuzip99]

Where is God's place in his theory? God sets the morals.

[geoden]

@Muuzip99 Is that a serious question?

[fatandslat]

"even when nobody's looking people are moral"

not really 'anonymous', not really 'consequence-free'. experiment design ignores observer effect. subjects perform to self-opinion, reputation norms, and moral influence overestimated. gintis himself acknowledges the 20% of absolute self-interested agents. preference structure (including virtue, egalitarianism) is adoptive normative, not predisposed.

also i disagree w assertion that only humans have moral lives, or capable of transmitted culture.

[Mr88playmaker]

DNA code is empirical proof that biological life forms are a creative product of information and language. i.e.: Nous / Logos

[Mr88playmaker]

(A) Information is: the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence.

(B) Information exist independent of its medium.

(the same information can be stored in one's mind, expressed verbally, written on paper, typed on a computer etc.)

(C) Code = Language. Language originates in a MIND.

There ore only two types of language known to man: (1) That of human mind origin (2) DNA code.

Information is not matter or energy.

Language is not matter or energy.