Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 15:57:46 -0400
Subject: Re: HAB: Brain Research and the Return of Universal Human Nature?


I'm sorry, but the idea that human social behavior is determined by
evolutionary biology is indeed rubbish--and fascistic rubbish at that.  Maybe
it does have some relevance to Habermas, although I would say that the
Arab--Israeli conflict is much more relevant, because it raises questions about
the normative value of secular rationalism, among other reasons.

Cheers,

David Hawkes

Kevin Olson wrote:

> Mmm, not rubish at all, David.  From the standpoint of naturalizing
> rationality and/or solving the problem of social order, it's definitely
> provocative.  You might consider the parallel with Habermas's (and
> Parson's) argument that strategic action is parasitic on social
> cooperation.  It would be quite interesting if the logical priority of
> cooperation were mimicked by evolution.
>
> For a fuller account of "what this has to do with Habermas," you might read
> chap. 2 of Joe Heath's _Communicative Action and Rational Choice_.
>
> Best,
>
> Kevin
>
> >First of all, this is rubbish.  Secondly, what does it have to do with
> >Habermas?
> >
> >Cheers,
> >
> >David Hawkes
> >
> >Thomas McDonald wrote:
> >
> >> The New York Times
> >> July 23, 2002
> >>
> >> Why We're So Nice: We're Wired to Cooperate
> >> By Natalie Angier
> >>
> >> What feels as good as chocolate on the tongue or money in the bank
> >> but won't make you fat or risk a subpoena from the Securities and
> >> Exchange Commission?
> >>
> >> Hard as it may be to believe in these days of infectious greed and
> >> sabers unsheathed, scientists have discovered that the small, brave
> >> act of cooperating with another person, of choosing trust over
> >> cynicism, generosity over selfishness, makes the brain light up with
> >> quiet joy.
> >>
> >> Studying neural activity in young women who were playing a classic
> >> laboratory game called the Prisoner's Dilemma, in which participants
> >> can select from a number of greedy or cooperative strategies as they
> >> pursue financial gain, researchers found that when the women chose
> >> mutualism over "me-ism," the mental circuitry normally associated
> >> with reward-seeking behavior swelled to life.
> >>
> >> And the longer the women engaged in a cooperative strategy, the more
> >> strongly flowed the blood to the pathways of pleasure.
> >>
> >> The researchers, performing their work at Emory University in
> >> Atlanta, used magnetic resonance imaging to take what might be called
> >> portraits of the brain on hugs.
> >>
> >> http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/23/health/psychology/23COOP.html
> >>
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> >
> >
> >
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>
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