Life Without a Net
evolutionary psychology
According to science, people are mostly good.
A recent study gives us a fascinating look into how humans “naturally” behave. Scientists collected data from the online game Pardus, which has over 300,000 players, and crunched it through a series of analysis techniques for complex systems. The game is one where the players are free to behave in any way they choose, with no … Continue reading
The Evolution of Mind
One of the things that’s very tricky about trying to understand the human mind is that we cannot easily remove ourselves from our own perspective. We experience our own existence, and because of that, we often make unjustified assumptions about it. One of the goals of evolutionary psychologists is to explain elements of the human … Continue reading
Monkey Morality and the Problem of Human Morality
The New York Times and the Times Online have published stories on primates and the origins of morality. They mention several primate experiments in which monkeys and chimps display prosocial behaviors such as helping others when there is no reward, sharing with companions, consoling companions, and remembering and repaying debts. These results add to a … Continue reading
What is Morality?
In my years of debating with theists, one of the most common accusations leveled at atheists is the trap of moral relativism. Without a system of absolute beliefs about morality, they claim, society will descend into anarchy. There will be no way to decide what is right and what is wrong, and we will have … Continue reading
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