Emory brain imaging studies reveal biological basis for human cooperation

EurekAlert ^ | 17 July, 2002 | Kathy Ovnic

[Nebullis]

Note to libertarians: cooperation, not just self-interest is hardwired.

[FastCoyote]

"Note to libertarians: cooperation, not just self-interest is hardwired."

What kind of moronic statement is that? If both self interest AND cooperation are hard wired, then won't libertarians be eminently able to balance cooperative interests and self-interests? The much feared libertarian anarchy (that conservatives so fear) would thus be exposed as a paper tiger by this experiment.

Ann Coulter should have written her book Slander about conservatives. Unable to come up with rational arguments against libertarian ideas, they either make things up or start name calling.

[ThePythonicCow]

Ah good - we've found the basis for the Golden Rule in some neurons on our brain that give us pleasure when we cooperate.

How nihilistic can you get?

Whatever became of Right and Wrong, Good and Evil, and other divine moral direction? This article seems unable to see past the little blurps on a CAT scan.

[Nebullis]

Objectivists libertarians tend to believe that a benefit to the individuals derives solely from actions or laws that benefit individuals directly, where conservatives tend to believe that actions or laws benefiting the larger group in addition to such for the individual result in increased benefit for the individual. This study appears to provide support for the conservative viewpoint.

As someone knowledgeable in these areas, what is your take on this article?

[apochromat]

A barf alert is too much to ask for, I suppose.

[Willie Green]

Note to libertarians: cooperation, not just self-interest is hardwired.

Which leads to the conclusion that libertarian brains are short-circuited.

[Ahban]

It may be biologically imbedded but even if so, that does not offer any hope of resolution to the issue of how it could have evolved. The first poor sucker to develop such traits would be taken advantage of by the clinical sociopaths all around them.

[apochromat]

It may help us define why wars are fought and loves are lost.

... and then, they'll fix it! Just a little neural ablation here and there, and presto!

[RightWhale]

The first poor sucker to develop such traits would be taken advantage of by the clinical sociopaths all around them.

The altruism lobe may be well-developed but those who try to activate it get this response more often than not:
Please, Mother, I'd rather do it myself!

[Nebullis]

It may be biologically imbedded but even if so, that does not offer any hope of resolution to the issue of how it could have evolved. The first poor sucker to develop such traits would be taken advantage of by the clinical sociopaths all around them.

Sort of like the difficulty of the first bird that hatched from a dinosaur egg? Most people see this as a non-issue.

[apochromat]

I hear that a strategy of tit-for-tat, with an eventual well-timed self-sacrifice as an attempt to shake out of the tit-for-tat rut, is the most rewarding way to go, assuming a normal co-player.

The term "social", with all its connotations, is being used in the article, when "group" is more precise.

[apochromat]

Whatever became of Right and Wrong

Why, they'll simply create a set of "correct" brain patterns for every dilemma they can inflict, and compare everyone with the "correct" pattern to look for abnormalities, and then all the information probably goes into a cookie. Science!

[ThePythonicCow]

Science!

Science is ok - something I'm quite fond of, actually. They just shouldn't confuse what little we manage to uncover with the ordering principles of the universe, as if there was little yet to be learnt.

[Ahban]

"Most people" see it as a non-issue only because most people don't think about such things. Among those of us who do, on both sides of the debate, it is a red-hot issue.

In "A Tale of Two Cities", a man confesses to a capital crime he did not commit so that another, the true love of the woman HE loves, might go free. He gave his life so that she could be happy. He says on his way to the guiotine "It is a far, far, better thing I do than I have ever done before".

Only humans can think like that, and it is absolutely the WORST thing you can do to spread your genes around. True Alturism is the opposite of what would be expected to exist if humans evolved from animals. Yet it does.

This is an important issue, and evolutionists know it. Shall I do a google search and come up with 100 papers on the subject?

[tpaine]

Ah good - we've found the basis for the Golden Rule in some neurons on our brain that give us pleasure when we cooperate.
How nihilistic can you get?
- 3 by ThePythonicCow

---

Objectivists libertarians tend to believe that a benefit to the individuals derives solely from actions or laws that benefit individuals directly, where conservatives tend to believe that actions or laws benefiting the larger group in addition to such for the individual result in increased benefit for the individual. This study appears to provide support for the conservative viewpoint. -Nebullis

---

-- How weird. - PyCow finds the article 'nihilistic' in its finding that the libertarian golden rule concept is valid; --

--- while Neb claims that the article shows such a concept to be not libertarian at all, but to be a 'conservative' view.

--- Dichotomy anyone?

[Nebullis]

Good catch, tpaine. Here's another one: Pythonic Cow discredits the "little blurbs on a CAT scan" when, in fact, the article is about fMRI.

More seriously, however, the researchers found evidence that altruism is built into human nature. Some people claim altruism is a vice. Is this weird?

[ThePythonicCow]

... PyCow ...

Hmmmm ... sounds like "cow pie" ... LOL

... How weird ... libertarian ... conservative ... dichotomy ...

No ... trichotomy. Think of it as 3 levels:

1. divine
2. larger group
3. individuals

The study found a mechanism at level 2. I found it nihilistic because the study made no mention of level 3. Neb found it conservative because it wasn't just level 1.

[tpaine]

Cow pie?
-- No, I think your last post is closer to bull pie. - Commonly known as BS.

Level off, fly lower, and get your head outta that hole in space.

[tpaine]

More seriously, however, the researchers found evidence that altruism is built into human nature. Some people claim altruism is a vice. Is this weird?

---

--- Only if you're one who thinks libertarians lack altruism.

[parsifal]

Yep, stunted brains. You are 100% right. parsy, whose brain is fully functioning.