GRÜNSIX Thursday February 18th, 2010
Special Edition: Radio Philosophy #066 – Murder Story.
Yesterday, the court hearing started for two adolescents
who almost managed to kill a 22-year-old by beating him,
because he had been looking so daft.
In Alabama, a university teacher
kills three of her colleagues
and severely injures three,
because she failed to get tenure.
In Abu Ghureib, US soldiers not only torture,
but also have pleasure
trying sadistic and perverse methods.
Why do they do these things?
Are they all crazy?
Inevitably.
Because thinking and rationality are situated
in the smaller,
newer part of the brains.
In the bigger, older part,
you find the aggressions.
We have only been working on our Western Civilization for 3,000 years.
But humans have existed for 697,000 years more than that.
So we should not be surprised
about so much happening.
Instead, we should be surprised
how little is happening.
KJG/SIX
(Translated by EG)
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2 Kommentare zu “Special Edition: Radio Philosophy #066 – Murder Story.”
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It is wrong to think that 3000 years of Western Civilisation is gradually transforming mankind from being wild and savage beings. Things have got better in Europe in the last 100 years. But this is not the case throughout the world.
On the other hand, bonobos, next to chimps our closest relatives are very unaggressive. Is there any evidence of a trend away from aggression in humans over a million years? Now we have a situation in the rich countries where excessive aggression is usually disadvantageous, so most people avoid it. I hope this will last.
These days it is easier to kill without aggression. Driving a car risks killing someone. Even turning up the heating puts more CO2 into the atmosphere, which will kill.
Die Bonobos haben, was die oft behauptete Friedlichkeit betrifft, durchaus ein unterschiedliches Ingroup/Outgroup-Verhalten. Innerhalb der Gruppe sind regelmäßige Aggressionen zu beobachten – wenn auch nicht in der Intensität wie bei den Schimpansen. Allerdings scheinen sie diese durch ein opulentes Sexleben abzureagieren. Ein Weg, den uns die Kirchen verbaut haben.