[Dean's World] Aziz P: Enlightenment abuse

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Posted by Aziz P:
Enlightenment abuse
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1163871678.shtml


   I really hope [1]this is some kind of Alan Sokal-type hoax. If not,
   it's pretty outstanding an example of self-delusional wish
   fulfillment:

     Applied evolutionary psychology should revolutionise life in three
     ways by 2056. First, Darwinian critiques of runaway consumer
     capitalism should undermine the social and sexual appeal of
     conspicuous consumption. Absurdly wasteful display will become less
     popular once people comprehend its origins in sexual selection, and
     its pathetic unreliability as a signal of individual merit or
     virtue.

     Second, studies of human happiness informed by evolution will
     reveal ever more clearly the importance of "social capital" -
     neighbourliness, close-knit communities, local family support, and
     integration between kids, adults and the elderly. This will, I
     hope, lead to revolutionary changes in urban planning, leading to a
     New Urbanist revival of mixed-use landscapes. Enlightened citizens
     will demand to live in village-type spaces rather than alienating
     suburbs of single-family isolation and unbearable commutes.

     Third, evolutionary moral psychology will reveal the social
     conditions under which human moral virtues flourish. The US will
     follow the UK in realising that religion is not a prerequisite for
     ordinary human decency. Thus, science will kill religion - not by
     reason challenging faith, but by offering a more practical,
     universal and rewarding moral framework for human interaction. A
     naturalistic moral philosophy will replace the rotting fictions of
     theological ethics. In these three ways, applied evolutionary
     psychology will help Enlightenment humanism fulfil its long-stalled
     potential to make us all brighter, wiser, happier and kinder.

   So what have we learned from Zen Master of Reason?

   1. capitalism doubleplusungood. 2. materialism is solely to attract
   mates. In other words, that Ps3 you waited 50 hours in line for will
   really prove to the hot chick in gym class what a stud you are. 3.
   your private life is everybody's business. 4. the "family" is a quaint
   social construct that inhibits happiness. (actually, around
   thanksgiving this might actually be true for a lot of people!) 5. The
   Anglican-Church-ruled UK is doubpleplusbetter than the 1st Amendment
   United States. Because the latter has too much religion. 6. "Applied
   evolutionary psychology", "Darwinian critiques of runaway consumer
   capitalism", "studies of human happiness", and "evolutionary moral
   psychology" are genuine scientific disciplines and not a bunch of
   bogus and unrelated ideas strung together in cool sentences. Lets call
   this "new science". 7. New science will kill religion. Just like
   Intelligent Design is so totally gonna kick Evolution's butt.

References

   1. http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/science-forecasts