From: Roderick A. Carder-Russell (rodc@shore.net)
Date: Fri Dec 13 1996 - 18:21:02 MST
On Fri, 13 Dec 1996, Richard Brodie wrote:
> Roderick A. Carder-Russell wrote:
>
> > But, do feelings and emotions not have a logical and reasonable
> >basis? Are they not designed to direct us towards goals? Procreation?
> >Self-preservation? Attainment of wealth? I maintain that emotions ARE
> >designed logically, just designed generally on an unconscious level
> >hence
> >we are sometimes unable to see the reasoning behind them.
>
>
> The fairly new field of evolutionary psychology studies just that. The
> unfortunate consensus of most researchers is that feelings and emotions
> were "designed" (i.e. evolved) to aid selfish DNA in replicating in the
> social and cultural environment of prehistory. This is because we
> haven't evolved much, genetically, since the Stone Age. So today these
> instinctual drives are often inappropriate and unproductive given an
> individual's personal goals.
Thank you. As I recall, I had mentioned in my last post that
emotions and feeling helped to push you in the "correct" directions.
Richard has illustrated here exactly what I meant. The statement
"today these instinctual drives are often inappropriate and
unproductive..." is a perfect clarification of my meaning and the reasons
that one could raise an argument.
Note that Richard also gives examples of emotions and feelings
serving logical, reasonable functions. Very well said Richard.
______________________________________________________________________________
>H >H
Roderick A. Carder-Russell
Transhumanist/Immortalist/Cryonicist
Suspension Member - Alcor Foundation
specializing in man-machine symbiosis
e-mail: rodc@shore.net WWW: http://www.shore.net/~rodc/home.html
>H >H
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