I don’t know if this is relevant to the criticism theme, but I found it was necessary for me to take some of Hanson’s ideas seriously before becoming involved in EA, but his insistence on calling everything hypocrisy was a turn-off for me. Are there any resources on how we evolved to be such-and-such a way (interested in self+immediate family, signalling etc.) but that that’s actually a good thing because once we know that we can do better?
They might mean that our evolved morality is “good” in a different sense than you’re looking for.
I haven’t read them yet but The Ant and the Peacock, Moral Minds, Evolution of the Social Contract, Nonzero, Unto Others, and The Moral Animal are probably good picks on the subject.
Thanks—most of those names ring a bell but the Selfish Gene is the only one I’ve read. I guess some of the value of reading them is gone for me now that my mind is already changed? But I’ll keep them in mind :-)
I don’t know if this is relevant to the criticism theme, but I found it was necessary for me to take some of Hanson’s ideas seriously before becoming involved in EA, but his insistence on calling everything hypocrisy was a turn-off for me. Are there any resources on how we evolved to be such-and-such a way (interested in self+immediate family, signalling etc.) but that that’s actually a good thing because once we know that we can do better?
Off the top of my head:
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
The Origins of Virtue by Matt Ridley
Moral Tribes by Joshua Greene
Darwin’s Dangerous Idea by Dennett
Freedom Evolves by Dennett
The Expanding Circle by Peter Singer
They might mean that our evolved morality is “good” in a different sense than you’re looking for.
I haven’t read them yet but The Ant and the Peacock, Moral Minds, Evolution of the Social Contract, Nonzero, Unto Others, and The Moral Animal are probably good picks on the subject.
Thanks—most of those names ring a bell but the Selfish Gene is the only one I’ve read. I guess some of the value of reading them is gone for me now that my mind is already changed? But I’ll keep them in mind :-)