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Time Magazine: Science is Close to Demonstrating Morality is a Function of Brain Activity

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From the December 3 issue of Time:

 “Morality and empathy are writ deep in our genes.  Alas, so are savagery and bloodlust.  Science is now learning what makes us both noble and terrible.”

“The deeper that science drills into the substrata of behavior, the harder it becomes to preserve the vanity that we are unique among earth’s creatures.”

“Sociobiology has been criticized as one of the most reductive of sciences, ascribing the behavior of all living things — humans included — as nothing more than an effort to get as many genes as possible into the next generation.  The idea makes sense . . .”

“The brain activity that most closely tracked the hypothetical crimes . . . occurred in the amygdala, a deep structure that helps us make the connection between bad acts and punishments.”

As is typical with articles of this type, the overarching tone was one of smug self assuredness.  The article states as settled fact conclusions that are hotly disputed (see here), as if only a whacked out religious fundie could possibly disagree with the conclusions of the God of Materialist Scientism.

Thank you also Dr. Sewell for pointing me to Anti-Matters, which has in this issue a very good review of the The Spiritual Brain

Comments
Borne, you are absolutely correct. Anyone familiar with the Argument from Reason would have recognized this. They don't push their philsophical beliefs far enough. They apply materialism to morality. But they don't apply materialism to all beliefs. If my mind is tricking me about morality, what else can't I trust?geoffrobinson
November 26, 2007
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The most amazing thing about these inane materialist theories is that they undo any possible validity of the materialist point of view itself. If matter is all we really are then nothing like morality, goodness, evil, intelligence or any other metaphysical thing really exists as true. Thus these fustilarian drone toads from Time persistently undo their own points of view as being 'true'. Their points of view are just the matter in motion - so why should anyone listen to them?Borne
November 26, 2007
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shaner74 "It seems as though science is simply a word at this point -- something used as a political weapon" Very well stated.Granville Sewell
November 26, 2007
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zoobiewa writes: "As for your next point, all things can be shown to be unique on some level. A hydrogen atom is unique even in relation to another hydrogen atom due to how it occupies time and space. Birds are unique in that they have feathers. Are you sure, gildodgen, that you are responding to the right kind of uniqueness for which the article was attacking?" The question, zoo, is whether using a stick to pick up ants is the same thing as putting a space station in orbit to explore the cosmos. Are the two activities merely different in degree or are they different in kind. Gil is stating that they are different in kind, a conclusion that is so obvious that only someone who is willfully truculent would gainsay it.BarryA
November 25, 2007
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It stands to reason that any human activity is going to show up associated with some brain activity, regardless of one's metaphysical assumptions. How the presence of this has anything to do with theories of man's "descent" is another matter. All views can comfortably accomodate it. It proves nothing.mike1962
November 25, 2007
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This article is on line. Just go to "www.time.com" and down the bottom of the page is a link to the story. I haven't read the article yet but will see just what it says later tonight. The second most emailed story in Time this week is "Sunday school for Atheists."jerry
November 25, 2007
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zoobiewa wrote: "Well, it was a way at setting up a thesis." Actually, it was pure speculation presented as fact.shaner74
November 25, 2007
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"The brain activity that most closely tracked the hypothetical crimes . . . occurred in the amygdala, a deep structure that helps us make the connection between bad acts and punishments." It seems as though science is simply just a word at this point - something used as a political weapon. We see electrical activity, so obviously matter is making decisions for "I". "...to preserve the vanity that we are unique among earth’s creatures." Translation: "You ignorant religious/superstitious rednecks" How long do you think before they actually quote scripture to belittle belief in it?shaner74
November 25, 2007
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Morality and empathy are writ deep in our genes. Once again, pure speculation presented as fact. ________ Well, it was a way at setting up a thesis. Any argument starts with setting up a speculation and then providing support for it. As for your next point, all things can be shown to be unique on some level. A hydrogen atom is unique even in relation to another hydrogen atom due to how it occupies time and space. Birds are unique in that they have feathers. Are you sure, gildodgen, that you are responding to the right kind of uniqueness for which the article was attacking?zoobiewa
November 25, 2007
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Morality and empathy are writ deep in our genes. Once again, pure speculation presented as fact. The deeper that science drills into the substrata of behavior, the harder it becomes to preserve the vanity that we are unique among earth's creatures. Of course, how silly of me. It is obvious that humans are not unique among earth's creatures. Lots of other creatures write and perform symphonies, and design and build computers and software. I'm now sold on the multiverse theory, because whoever wrote this obviously lives in an alternate universe.GilDodgen
November 25, 2007
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