Woodhill Publishing The Purpose of Life

    The Purpose of Life
    by Donald Cameron
    Woodhill Publishing (2001)

PREFACE:
Ambitious claim; prerequisites; the is/ought fallacy; difficulties of reading; unashamed materialism; summary of chapters; acknowledgements.

SUMMARY OF THE MAIN ARGUMENT:
Axioms; culture; the philosophical problem; Evolutionary Value Principle; alternatives; altruism: kin, co-operation, display; algorithm for all moral philosophy.

1. THE UNFEELING UNIVERSE:
   The medieval world picture; the modern cosmic model; the supernatural in biology; evolution; the history of religion; a source of values; objections: (i) culture, (ii) consciousness, (iii) morality; the unfeeling universe.
   


2. THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:
   Evolutionary history; spread of mutations; inherited values; human genetic adaptation to agriculture; population.
   


3. CULTURAL EVOLUTION:
   The end of evolution; culture in other species; progress in culture; confused heritability; Dawkins's memes; meme farm; fact and value memes; meme parasites and weeds; science as a sheepdog; coevolution; nature and nurture.
   


4. THE EVOLUTIONARY VALUE PRINCIPLE:
   Decision makers; facts and values; genetic and cultural values; types 1, 2 and 3; Evolutionary Value Principle; the source of value information; real-world values; inevitability; consistency; alternatives; idealism; religion; Zero Option; proof of the Evolutionary Value Principle; acceptability; Social Darwinism; evolutionary perspectives; defying the replicators; conclusion.
   


5. THE MYSTERY OF ALTRUISM:
   Genetic and cultural values; selfish values; kin selection; murderers and cannibals; group selection and good of the species; prisoner's dilemma; group co-operation; display altruism; green beards; memetic altruism; the moral imperative; the three mechanisms. "The blackbird fable"
   


6. NATIONS AND RACES:
   Ethnic relatedness; shortage of ancestors; diffuse kinship; kingdoms and empires; democracy; the nation; good government; world government; necessities and luxuries; migration; communications; mobility.
   


7. BIRTH AND POPULATION:
   The geometric series; demographic trends; fertility crisis; Chinese one-child experiment; purpose of marriage; marriage instability; homosexuality; adoption; abortion; fertility aids; eugenics.
   


8. DEATH, RELIGION AND MEDICINE:
   Death; intelligence trap; religion; the value of life; the dying and bereaved; medicine; funerals.
   


9. WAR:
   The rapid growth of destructive power; evolved instincts; altruism of the soldier; effect of agriculture; growth of power structures; the individual decision; communications; nuclear war.
   


10. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS:
    Current values; happiness; drugs and pseudodrugs; art and sport; beauty; idealism; animal rights; spirituality.
    


11. RECOMMENDATIONS:
    Obvious and less obvious conclusions; need for caution; value of tradition; ten recommendations; advice to young men; advice to young women; the universal algorithm.
    


12. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? EVP
    Important or wrong; research; education; prospects for implementation.
    

Further Reading
Appendix 1: Religion
Index