Generally an acceptably well written post. I don’t exactly like your tone but I agree with the state facts to a large degree. I disagree most with this:
A human society’s values are ultimately stated in terms of the gene alleles common in that society. These tend to be the values we think of as human values, because they often supervene on rationality and must be expressed explicitly. But, again, they benefit genes, not humans.
A human society’s values are to a larger degree determined by how they benefit the society. One could argue to which degree this depends on the indirect benefit to the individual which indeed is “ultimately stated in terms of the gene alleles common in that society”. But the causality is different and via a complex if not chaotic process. Societies compete among each other and a more cooperative one may out-compete a warrior society—or not.
All this is one more reason it is difficult to find a consistent stable volition.
Generally an acceptably well written post. I don’t exactly like your tone but I agree with the state facts to a large degree. I disagree most with this:
A human society’s values are to a larger degree determined by how they benefit the society. One could argue to which degree this depends on the indirect benefit to the individual which indeed is “ultimately stated in terms of the gene alleles common in that society”. But the causality is different and via a complex if not chaotic process. Societies compete among each other and a more cooperative one may out-compete a warrior society—or not.
All this is one more reason it is difficult to find a consistent stable volition.