Hi,
Sodom <sodom@ma.ultranet.com> writes:
<<
Oh yes, They certainly can. I think Eric is using an innacurate model
of humanity. This assumption that mankind is not primarily violent in
nature would not be very realistic.
>>
I didn't say we wern't violent in nature -- I said that violence is a learned strategy for problem solving. As evidence of the memetic nature of <violence as a problem solver>, I would cite the studies which show that children of violent parents grow up to be violent themselves...
<<
Depending on what you mean by "works", I may have to disagree.
Violence (coercion) rarely solves the actual problem -- more
typically, it simply suppresses the problem, as well as generating
resent and coercion damage in the form of irrationality and the loss
of creativity.
Punishment and pain are primitive but functional teaching tools,
though I would not use pain myself, punishment has its uses. When
applied properly, its called dicipline, and it works for everything
from withholding allowance for not completeing chores, to fines of
corporations. They are not fullproof, and often ill conceived from the
beginning, but it still stands when effectivly applied.
>>
ERiC