A List of Human Universals

[Rumckle]

There ought to be some Godwin-type law referring to the use of the word sociopath in an argument.

I thought Johnyx's use of the term was justified. I mean if you are talking about the evolution of emotions sociopathy is going to come up.


ETA:
Also, Xieante, if you don't feel shame, perhaps you are just too much of a morally good person, perhaps you should go and try stabbing a random stranger

[Salty]

Hm..on re-reading I think he was using a more general "you" than I first saw.
Sorry, Johnyx.

[The Johnny]

Lack of empathy is a basic characteristic of sociopaths, people dont exist in a manner differently as objects exist; in terms of their usefulness.

[Xieante Antitheus]

ETA:
Also, Xieante, if you don't feel shame, perhaps you are just too much of a morally good person, perhaps you should go and try stabbing a random stranger

I don't think that's the case. Ethical, maybe. Morally good, eh, doubtful. I am a fairly self involved person, in the sense that I find most people useless. Someone that presents themselves to me as fairly intelligent, or those I care about are alright in my book, highly respected even, "Hey, how are you?" The average schmuck wondering about... For the most part I could care less.  In the same respects due to less then normal situational bull shit I have been perpetually bombarded with over the last few years I'm almost always teetering on the edge of what one could call 'survival mode'. So, I guess that being the case, I answered my own question previously asked...

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

You may be thinking of the Pirahã. No doubt there are other peoples with similarly minimal vocabulary.

This is an incredibly common "conqueror" myth that has been pretty thoroughly debunked. Inability to count above three has been attributed to various "simple" people over the ages, and is basically total bullshit.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Okay. I'll post a list of things that are blue-colored, and then if you ask of what use it is, I'll tell you to figure it out yourself.
I mean, come on. You posted this list without explaining it at all. If you thought it had some use, why not say what that is?

People post lots of threads I don't get. And then, if it intrigues me, I read the posts by people who do get it, and I become more informed.

Try it, it's pretty cool.

[Kai]

You do realize this list is *from* anthropologists right?

Notice I didn't say ALL ANTHROPOLOGISTS EVERYWHERE.

There are influential cultural anthropologists who do not like the idea of reductionism, preferring a post-modern stance. EO Wilson covered this in his book Consilience.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Notice I didn't say ALL ANTHROPOLOGISTS EVERYWHERE.

There are influential cultural anthropologists who do not like the idea of reductionism, preferring a post-modern stance. EO Wilson covered this in his book Consilience.

Quit ruining perfectly good pedantic nitpicking with your "facts"!

[Kai]

Quit ruining perfectly good pedantic nitpicking with your "facts"!

[Epimetheus]

This is an incredibly common "conqueror" myth that has been pretty thoroughly debunked. Inability to count above three has been attributed to various "simple" people over the ages, and is basically total bullshit.

(Tried to find such a controversy about the Pirahã. Didn't.)

[Placid Dingo]

(Tried to find such a controversy about the Pirahã. Didn't.)

If you look hard enough, there's a page which suggests that it's not 'one, two, many' but a relativity based counting system.

I know there's other groups which have that. Eg, no 'left right' but using the river as the single direction reference point.

[Jasper]

If you were to compile the list of all the universals that have to do with human language, then figure out what selective pressures caused them to evolve, you might figure out how to write a genetic algorithm that developed language learning abilities.  Or at least have an idea where to start.

Nobody cared?  I thought that was a good idea...

[Cain]

Nobody cared?  I thought that was a good idea...

Didn't Chomsky try something similar?

I mean, before he wrote endless tracts denouncing US imperialism, and then in an endlessly self-referential circle, cited those tracts to re-denounce US imperialism every two weeks?

[Jasper]

Yes, only I want to apply evolutionary cognitive neuroscience instead of linguistics and philosophy.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

(Tried to find such a controversy about the Pirahã. Didn't.)

What?  Are you kidding me? What search strings did you use? I would suggest "Piraha hoax" or "Piraha controversy", for starters. Have fun, there's a lot of reading there.