Virge: The argument for psychological unity is that, as a sexually reproducing species, it is almost impossible for one gene to rise in relative frequency if the genes it depends on are not already nearly universal. So the all the diversity within any species at any given time consists of only one-step changes; no complex adaptations. The one exception of course is that males can have complex adaptations that females lack, and vice versa.
So, with respect to your specific examples:
Homosexuals: sexual preference certainly is a complex adaptation, but obviously one that differs between males and females. Homosexuals just got the wrong sexual preference for their equipment. And it doesn’t do any good to say that they aren’t defective. They aren’t defective from a human, moral point of view, but that’s not the point. From evolutions view, there’s hardly anything more defective, except perhaps a fox that voluntarily restrains it’s own breeding.
Stanford Prison Experiment, Psychopaths: I’m not sure if I see where the complex adaptation is here. Some people have more empathy, some less. Even if the difference is supposed to be genetic, there seem to be a lot of these flexible parameters in our genome. Empathy-level could be like skin-color, height, hairiness, etc. We all have the machinery to compute empathy (we all have the same complex adaptation), but it’s used more often, or carries more influence in some people and less in others. Those that totally lack empathy are like albinos. They have the genes that are supposed to code for empathy, but they’re broken.
Of course you are right that empirical data on this question is needed. But absent that, we have what looks like a strong theoretical argument for psycological unity.
Virge: The argument for psychological unity is that, as a sexually reproducing species, it is almost impossible for one gene to rise in relative frequency if the genes it depends on are not already nearly universal. So the all the diversity within any species at any given time consists of only one-step changes; no complex adaptations. The one exception of course is that males can have complex adaptations that females lack, and vice versa.
So, with respect to your specific examples:
Homosexuals: sexual preference certainly is a complex adaptation, but obviously one that differs between males and females. Homosexuals just got the wrong sexual preference for their equipment. And it doesn’t do any good to say that they aren’t defective. They aren’t defective from a human, moral point of view, but that’s not the point. From evolutions view, there’s hardly anything more defective, except perhaps a fox that voluntarily restrains it’s own breeding.
Stanford Prison Experiment, Psychopaths: I’m not sure if I see where the complex adaptation is here. Some people have more empathy, some less. Even if the difference is supposed to be genetic, there seem to be a lot of these flexible parameters in our genome. Empathy-level could be like skin-color, height, hairiness, etc. We all have the machinery to compute empathy (we all have the same complex adaptation), but it’s used more often, or carries more influence in some people and less in others. Those that totally lack empathy are like albinos. They have the genes that are supposed to code for empathy, but they’re broken.
Of course you are right that empirical data on this question is needed. But absent that, we have what looks like a strong theoretical argument for psycological unity.