Thursday, May 14, 2009

I love it when actual scientists tell me I was right all along.

For years I have been answering those Christians who ask where morality comes from by answering "Game theory." I have said that since humans are social animals we would have cooperative instincts. That nature would select for the traits that best help insure group survival. I even suggested that game theory predicts that much of what humans call moral is simply the best strategy. I even once wrote a long winded exposition about how the prisoners dilemma accurately describes most social interactions. Now I am not so arrogant as to say this is my unique theory, I have heard it before from others, but still it is good to be vindicated. This atricle and this one show how game theory can predict the behavior patterns of ravens. Even predicting a behavior that had not been observed before and then having it verified by field researchers. I love being right.

1 comment:

Nick said...

Well, of course you're right, and the irrational "God is the answer" Christians are wrong. They would respond that you still are not 'splainin' it, that that doesn't tell us why we as individuals should be moral.

However, values and morals don't exist in a vacuum, actions have consequence, and that's the best way to show that we're dealing with something objective (or universal) and that you don't need god to account for it. In fact, if "god" were the "source" of morality, it would be completely subjective and meaningless, which is exactly what Christians assert (wrongly) is a necessary consequence of atheism.