Conversation

People worry about how humans would rebuild after a significant apocalypse, but I wonder whether the survivors would want to. Species perpetuation is not actually an innate individual drive like plain survival or offspring protection. I don’t think I would work for it.
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In some ways, we’re already there. You don’t need 90% actual die-off to get a reality check on your species level commitments. Just an extended period of trials testing alleged species-level pro-social instincts. Preliminary results: they don’t exist.
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You realize that though humanity as an abstract concept is lovely, most of the actual humans are pretty lousy, and you become radically less willing to do anything for “the good of humanity.” Even zero-marginal cost positive externalities seem questionable.
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Replying to
Didn't humans kind of overcome these problems in rising to global prominence already, with mechanisms that overcame the lack of desire to "do good"? Altruism, truck and barter, etc?
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