Capable of living like what? I don't understand you.

Capable of living off pure self-interest. You also have to have this convoluted, nonsensical concept called "morality" to convince people that life has meaning and value and purpose aside from their biological imperative.

Ooops.

Alright

1) You're instantly taking it to a philosophical level, but when I said "everyone is self interested" it was in the context of the discussion we were having, which is geopolitics. Every nation state has an agenda that is largely based around pursuing strategic interests for that nation state.

2) I believe that morality is a function of biology just like every other influence on human behavior. Also, the reason we have religion goes beyond morality.

I don't think I made such a logical leap that you can't follow it without some pussyass evasion. Yes morality evolved to keep people from murdering, stealing, and being rude to each other for the sake of survivability. But the human mind is too complex for morality to stay so simplistic without seeing right through the illusion which is why morality became as convoluted as people are and evolved into things like religion and arcane honor codes and modernism and post-modernism.

This place hurts my ****ing head sometimes. WTF point are you folks trying to arrive at?

Humans were ****ed as soon as they learned the word "why".

It's not an evasion, it's keeping the statement in context.

I was referring to the actions of nation States as we were having a discussion on American foreign policy. I wasn't saying that humans are incapable of altruism on an individual level. That's an important distinction to me.

Since we evolved in tribes, we naturally have instincts for maintaining order within a society. We are far less biologically developed at maintaining order between different competing societies. That is why things that would be considered unforgivable within the tribe are tolerated when at war with a rival tribe.

And again, morality is an aspect of religion and philosophy. One among many. Religion and philosophy are not derived from morality though. It is merely one source of insight among many.

take an Ambien and hit the sack

If we could all become one big NWO conglomerate that would be best for world peace

But that's a risky endeavor

why the **** can't i post?