Does Tough Love Fall Under A Label Of Cultural Selection?
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:53 am
I think the evolutionists here understand what I mean, for the ones who do not, let me explain.
I'm sure everyone here is familiar with the phrase "survival of the fittest", which basically means those with the most essential tools relevant to environmental conditions survive longer and thus have opportunity to pass on their genes to offspring. A very simplistic example would be if a human being were born without legs in the wild they'd be an early meal and thus would not have the opportunity to reproduce. It's that simple really and known as Natural Selection. Going further into the inner workings of the human body there may be a gene that introduces Progeria into the body thus the same result of no opportunity to reproduce and pass on the "bad gene". Again, the process of Natural Selection. We call these conditions I mention above 'abnormalities' or 'disorders' and therefore in an effort to provide survival to each member of our species who lack it we do our best to repair the problem that's hindering survival. We don't like watching the physically weak not make it. It's the concept of pulling for the underdog, if you will. To the evolutionist it's an adaptation that causes us to assist in one another's survival because we intuitively understand our odds of individual survival increase with the participation of others. (another extension of the Selection process).
Carrying the idea even further and into the human emotional domain , the effort we put forward to 'repair' the physical and biological conditions that arise maintains a strong and confidant state of mind, and that can only increase our chances of survival. We select certain emotions to get by in today's social environment.
And so it goes. The point is that everything is "selected" somehow, whether that selection occurs biologically or what have you.
Think of the workings within your body and how all the member cells work together in order for you to survive each moment. White blood cells show up in order to fight invaders, blood travels to injured parts of the body like a sprained ankle and form a hematoma in order to support it. There may be certain cells though that do not participate as members of the body for survival and in most cases what the other cells will do is isolate them so they do not do compromise the integrity of the body as a whole.
With that in mind, think of each one of us as members and active participants (like cells) for the good of the societal body. Christians use this concept and refer to it as The Body Of Christ. But for the sake of this thread, lets focus on economic integrity of the Nation.
In order to maintain a healthy economic national body each individual member must do their part, right? They have the responsibility to become educated in a field that serves the economic body, they must be willing to work, search for work, and maintain their own personal bodily integrity in order to do that job as best they can. Competition demands it or someone else will step in and take your place. Survival of the fittest? Perhaps.
So heres my point. I maintain "tough love" is Cultural Selection.
1) Do you agree with my conclusion?
2) Is what I describe above what you intend to convey when you espouse "tough love"?
3) Is tough love the moral equivalent to the behavior of the cells isolating unhelpful member cells of one's body?
4) Is permitting members of our society to sink moral when we extend so much effort to those born without the physical ability to survive without member (medical) intervention?
I'm sure everyone here is familiar with the phrase "survival of the fittest", which basically means those with the most essential tools relevant to environmental conditions survive longer and thus have opportunity to pass on their genes to offspring. A very simplistic example would be if a human being were born without legs in the wild they'd be an early meal and thus would not have the opportunity to reproduce. It's that simple really and known as Natural Selection. Going further into the inner workings of the human body there may be a gene that introduces Progeria into the body thus the same result of no opportunity to reproduce and pass on the "bad gene". Again, the process of Natural Selection. We call these conditions I mention above 'abnormalities' or 'disorders' and therefore in an effort to provide survival to each member of our species who lack it we do our best to repair the problem that's hindering survival. We don't like watching the physically weak not make it. It's the concept of pulling for the underdog, if you will. To the evolutionist it's an adaptation that causes us to assist in one another's survival because we intuitively understand our odds of individual survival increase with the participation of others. (another extension of the Selection process).
Carrying the idea even further and into the human emotional domain , the effort we put forward to 'repair' the physical and biological conditions that arise maintains a strong and confidant state of mind, and that can only increase our chances of survival. We select certain emotions to get by in today's social environment.
And so it goes. The point is that everything is "selected" somehow, whether that selection occurs biologically or what have you.
Think of the workings within your body and how all the member cells work together in order for you to survive each moment. White blood cells show up in order to fight invaders, blood travels to injured parts of the body like a sprained ankle and form a hematoma in order to support it. There may be certain cells though that do not participate as members of the body for survival and in most cases what the other cells will do is isolate them so they do not do compromise the integrity of the body as a whole.
With that in mind, think of each one of us as members and active participants (like cells) for the good of the societal body. Christians use this concept and refer to it as The Body Of Christ. But for the sake of this thread, lets focus on economic integrity of the Nation.
In order to maintain a healthy economic national body each individual member must do their part, right? They have the responsibility to become educated in a field that serves the economic body, they must be willing to work, search for work, and maintain their own personal bodily integrity in order to do that job as best they can. Competition demands it or someone else will step in and take your place. Survival of the fittest? Perhaps.
So heres my point. I maintain "tough love" is Cultural Selection.
1) Do you agree with my conclusion?
2) Is what I describe above what you intend to convey when you espouse "tough love"?
3) Is tough love the moral equivalent to the behavior of the cells isolating unhelpful member cells of one's body?
4) Is permitting members of our society to sink moral when we extend so much effort to those born without the physical ability to survive without member (medical) intervention?