Originally posted by LemonJello
KJ, again the charge was to provide a plausible account of how the human moral faculty (that is, to first order, the human capacity to employ moralized concepts, think in moralized terms, and make moral judgments) is the result of evolutionary processes. I submitted chapters 1-4 of the Joyce book. I don't claim that anything Joyce presents there is part ...[text shortened]... I am not far enough into the Willard book to start a thread on it yet, but that will come later.
I'm going to go back and earnestly read the first four chapters, I've not really put in the
effort I want to yet to do you justice. My first question basically goes to some of my
questions or complaints on morality early on in another thread. If you don't want to touch
upon this that far back in the process that will be fine, but I think it vital since it is
foundational it seems on why Joyce assumes certain things.
In chapter 2 Joyce sort of just assumed something that glosses over a question I've been
asking, that is where do we see thought, thinking, reasoning, start out. He said early in
the first sentence that we were ignorant of many things in our early social life except for
one thing. He than states this one thing we were certain about! Okay, that struck me as
an important point to him if we were certain about it. He then says that point was we
through millions of years "cared" for our our infants.That basically assumes notions about
so many things!
I like grasping the starting points then address subsequent changes. If life started from
non-life (not the topic I know) and then life started changing (now the topic begins) at
some point life reaches a single cell and caring for young would not be a factor at that
time!. If life turned into a plant first carrying for young would not be a factor at that time, If
life's first multi-cell creature was an asexual creature life carrying for the young would not
be a factor at that time either.
Carrying for anything would begin how? To start assuming that is the case has been
settled before the discussion even begins basically has more than half the issues already
solved in my opinion. If we assume we have already been carrying than we can move
from one point in morals to another without to much of a leap.
I'll start on the chapters now and we can move on from here if it is okay with you?