[MD] Distinguishing Levels

[Platt Holden]

Ian:

> See the Charles Whitehead paper lower down this (very long) page of
> abstracts on the Science of Consciousness.
> http://www.consciousness.arizona.edu/abstracts.htm

Did you happen to catch this passage in the above reference?

"It is believed that morals are acquired attitudes. However, Joshua 
Greene, et al. have recently created experimental neuroscience using 
moral dilemmas and brain scan measures that emotional responses to 
various moral issues appear to be innate, independent of cultural and 
environmental factors. The basic moral attitudes of all cultures are 
biological, although they vary in ways of demonstration through action 
and language. Greene has reviewed the underlying philosophers from 
Aristotle to present inquiries in his paper "From Neural 'is' to moral 
'ought': What are the moral implications of neuroscientific moral 
psychology?" If it is assumed that the material received by Greene is 
confirmed by further research, the impact on philosophers, theologians, 
and neuropsychologists could be very disturbing, and even alarming to 
people in general. It is now accepted by biologists that species other 
than ourselves can act as if they have 'moral' action, with examples 
such as anthropoids."

Sounds like scientific support for Pirsig's thesis of a universal moral 
order wouldn't you say?

Platt