“Isn’t it plausible that a clever species such as our own might need less pain, precisely because we are capable of intelligently working out what is good for us, and what damaging events we should avoid? Isn’t it plausible that an unintelligent species might need a massive wallop of pain, to drive home a lesson that we can learn with less powerful inducement?” Richard Dawkins: https://boingboing.net/2011/06/30/richard-dawkins-on-v.html
Not sure this follows. If we’re capable of intelligently working out what’s good for us, that makes us able to work out how to avoid the pain. But it doesn’t seem a good reason for evolution to reduce the pain, as that would reduce the incentive for us to try to avoid it.
“Isn’t it plausible that a clever species such as our own might need less pain, precisely because we are capable of intelligently working out what is good for us, and what damaging events we should avoid? Isn’t it plausible that an unintelligent species might need a massive wallop of pain, to drive home a lesson that we can learn with less powerful inducement?” Richard Dawkins: https://boingboing.net/2011/06/30/richard-dawkins-on-v.html
Not sure this follows. If we’re capable of intelligently working out what’s good for us, that makes us able to work out how to avoid the pain. But it doesn’t seem a good reason for evolution to reduce the pain, as that would reduce the incentive for us to try to avoid it.
Nice find, definitely a related point!