First, it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing evolution would select for. Our brains may be susceptible to making the kind of mistake that leads one to believe in the existence of (and the need for) objective morality, but that would be a bias, not a terminal value.
Second, we can simply look at the people who’ve been through a transition similar to byrnema’s, myself included. Most of us have successfully expunged (or at least minimized) the need for an Objective Morality from our moral architecture, and the few I know who’ve failed are badly, badly confused about metaethics. I don’t see how we could have done this if the need for an objective morality was terminal.
Of course I suppose there’s a chance that we’re freaks.
First, it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing evolution would select for. Our brains may be susceptible to making the kind of mistake that leads one to believe in the existence of (and the need for) objective morality, but that would be a bias, nor a terminal value.
I think you’re wrong here. It is possible for evolution to select for valuing objective morality, when the environment contains memes that appear to be objective morality and those memes also help increase inclusive fitness.
An alternative possibility is that we don’t so much value objective morality, as disvalue arbitrariness in our preferences. This might be an evolved defense mechanism against our brains being hijacked by “harmful” memes.
Second, we can simply look at the people who’ve been through a transition similar to byrnema’s, myself included.
I worry there’s a sampling bias involved in reaching your conclusion.
First, it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing evolution would select for. Our brains may be susceptible to making the kind of mistake that leads one to believe in the existence of (and the need for) objective morality, but that would be a bias, not a terminal value.
Second, we can simply look at the people who’ve been through a transition similar to byrnema’s, myself included. Most of us have successfully expunged (or at least minimized) the need for an Objective Morality from our moral architecture, and the few I know who’ve failed are badly, badly confused about metaethics. I don’t see how we could have done this if the need for an objective morality was terminal.
Of course I suppose there’s a chance that we’re freaks.
I think you’re wrong here. It is possible for evolution to select for valuing objective morality, when the environment contains memes that appear to be objective morality and those memes also help increase inclusive fitness.
An alternative possibility is that we don’t so much value objective morality, as disvalue arbitrariness in our preferences. This might be an evolved defense mechanism against our brains being hijacked by “harmful” memes.
I worry there’s a sampling bias involved in reaching your conclusion.