with random mutations and natural selection, old values can disappear and new values can appear in a population. The success of the new values depends only on their differential ability to keep their carriers in children, not on their “friendliness” to the old values of the parents, which is what FAI respecting CEV is meant to accomplish.
The Red Queen Hypothesis is (my paraphrase for purposes of this post) that a lot of the evolution that takes place is not to adapt to unliving environment but to the living and most importantly also evolving environment in which we live, on which we feed, and which does its damdest to feed on us. Imagine a set of smart primates who have already done pretty well against dumber animals by evolving more complex vocal and gestural signalling, and larger neocortices so that complex plans worthy of being communicated can be formulated and understood when communicated. But they lack the concept of handing off something they have with the expectation that they might get something they want even more in trade. THIS is essentially one of the hypotheses of Matt Ridley’s book “The Rational Optimist,” that homo sapiens is a born trader, while the other primates are not. Without trading, economies of scale and specialization do almost no good. With trading and economies of scale and specialization, a large energy investment in a super-hot brain and some wicked communication gear and skills really pays off.
Subspecies with the right mix of generosity, hypocrisy, selfishness, lust, power hunger, and self-righteousness will ultimately eat the lunch of their too generous or too greedy to cooperate or too lustful to raise their children or too complacent to seek out powerful mates brethren and sistern. This is value drift brought to you by the Red Queen.
What does the Red Queen hypothesis have to do with value change?
with random mutations and natural selection, old values can disappear and new values can appear in a population. The success of the new values depends only on their differential ability to keep their carriers in children, not on their “friendliness” to the old values of the parents, which is what FAI respecting CEV is meant to accomplish.
The Red Queen Hypothesis is (my paraphrase for purposes of this post) that a lot of the evolution that takes place is not to adapt to unliving environment but to the living and most importantly also evolving environment in which we live, on which we feed, and which does its damdest to feed on us. Imagine a set of smart primates who have already done pretty well against dumber animals by evolving more complex vocal and gestural signalling, and larger neocortices so that complex plans worthy of being communicated can be formulated and understood when communicated. But they lack the concept of handing off something they have with the expectation that they might get something they want even more in trade. THIS is essentially one of the hypotheses of Matt Ridley’s book “The Rational Optimist,” that homo sapiens is a born trader, while the other primates are not. Without trading, economies of scale and specialization do almost no good. With trading and economies of scale and specialization, a large energy investment in a super-hot brain and some wicked communication gear and skills really pays off.
Subspecies with the right mix of generosity, hypocrisy, selfishness, lust, power hunger, and self-righteousness will ultimately eat the lunch of their too generous or too greedy to cooperate or too lustful to raise their children or too complacent to seek out powerful mates brethren and sistern. This is value drift brought to you by the Red Queen.