Ethics is a masquerade, the show must go on
First version: Jan. 2017
Updated: May 2017
I introduce the idea that ethics is a farce while there is genuine cooperation and altruism between individuals, and I make some proposals to maximize altruism, compatible with previous ideas.
Surely, ethics is a farce. Why? Ethics is the logical reflection on morality. Morality is each set of rules by which a society is governed, that allow to be guided in the conflicts between individuals. There are various ethics (different moral reasoning) and different morals (sets of rules to guide us).
The following is true: the behaviour -comprehended broadly, and in general- of each living being is that which would be expected to happen if it were guided by the egoism of genes, which build machines (bodies) with the sole purpose of self-perpetuation of themselves (genes). This behaviour includes the creation and acceptance of moral rules, and ethical reasoning (logical).
This is not the only possible explanation, but it is surely the best explanation. If it is true, ethics would not be doing what many people think it does, which is to reflect on what is right and wrong (or what is better and worse) to reach conclusions, but rather, given certain conclusions to be reached (behaviours guided by the egoism of genes), ethics is responsible, a posteriori, to justify and argue to defend predefined conclusions. Some of these predefined conclusions could be classified as “altruism” and others as “selfishness”. That is, according to this interpretation, ethics is a masquerade that conceals cooperation agreements beneficial to the genes, decided in advance.
How is the existence of cooperation and even altruism possible in a world guided by the selfishness of genes?
When one cooperates, in general it does so because it is beneficial to itself, and especially to its genes, in a more or less complicated or disguised way. Altruism can also be explained by the metaphorical egoism of genes. Everyone, in addition to caring for oneself, also cares about the genetically-close beings: their children, other genetically close relatives, as well as of their sexual partners, friends or collaborators in the measure in which they serve their ends (the objectives of the genes).
In this interpretation of it is indifferent the rationality and other characteristics of the individuals: these can be very intelligent or not, predictable or not; Guided by reason or perhaps by superstition. It does not matter. What this interpretation explains is that these behaviours, in general, are consistent with the (metaphorical) selfishness of genes.
Altruism can conceal a personal interest, even when it is in a more or less complicated or disguised form, as can be the case of adopted children, pets, and people who make service to others their raison d’être. Specifically, effective altruism could be a sort of moral and intellectual whim, a way of achieving recognition and finding meaning in a meaningless life.
However, the selfishness of genes does not imply that individuals are completely selfish. Let’s take into account that genes (metaphorically) are only interested in individuals as far as they serve their purposes. These aims are the preservation and reproduction of themselves, of the genes.
The selfishness of the genes is totally compatible with cooperation and altruism among individuals. Throughout history, all kinds of cooperative communities have been formed, and this has occurred in many species. Whether they are ants or humans, we can see groups confronting each other with no ethical reckoning (slavery, wars) as they collaborate and are even totally altruistic within the group itself.
This altruism does not happen only within the species itself. The egoism of genes predicts that, in the absence of other considerations, we will be as much more altruistic as much closer we are genetically. This includes -for human beings- empathy and altruism with great apes, mammals in general, and why not, with all animal species. Societies and persons, the more developed they are and the more their needs are covered, the more they will be willing to morally consider other beings at greater genetic distances.
How is the existence of an ethic that proposes the reduction of populations possible?
Rightly or wrongly, in general, most people will defend an ethic that will ultimately argue in favor of lengthening life and increasing the number of individuals, because such ethics is part of the behavior of beings who have been selected evolutionarily. The defense of the decline of populations will generally belong to marginal cases.
How to maximize cooperation and altruism in a world guided by the selfishness of genes?
- We can use reason to argue in favour of altruism between individuals. The show must go on. If genes have built us to use ethical reasoning to come to the conclusion that altruism is desirable, let’s do it. It will not only be good for what the genes claim: it will be good, in general, for everyone.
- We can highlight the selfish benefits of altruism. The altruistic individual sends a “costly signal” to the rest of society, attracting sympathy and consideration precisely from those who also value cooperation and altruism. In the event that the altruistic person is in need of the altruism of others, by then he will have attracted the attention of many other altruists who will be able to help him this time.
- We can improve communication and commitment mechanisms. There are many win-win opportunities among individuals who are not exploited for lack of information or lack of mechanisms to ensure cooperation.
- We can consider that maximum altruism is inevitable. Maximum efficiency is produced by total altruism, so that an alignment of evolution is expected with global cooperation between more and more beings, until all are reached. Just as there is now a “declaration of human rights”, it is foreseeable that there will be a “declaration of the rights of the sentient beings”, a sort of global agreement that includes all beings that may be affected by the actions or omissions of others. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we will enjoy all of this maximum efficiency.
- We can facilitate the convergence between the egoism of genes and altruism between individuals. How? Helping to maximize the existence of altruistic life, while holding back the tendency for other types of individuals, whose behaviour is based on selfishness, occupy certain niches. As altruism can ensure the existence of a happy life, the more altruistic life there is, the better. It is therefore a matter of facilitating the appearance of as much altruistic and happy life as possible, avoiding that new niches are occupied by other selfish and / or unhappy beings.
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