Mario – I think maybe I should have been more clear re that article on evolutionary psychology. I generally subscribe to most of the tenets of sociobiology — or whatever you want to call it. Bob Wright’s The Moral Animal had a big effect on me when I first read it and I like Matt Ridley’s stuff a lot too. I don’t think nearly so highly of Richard Dawkins. And I draw the line at some of the materialist absolutism yo’ll find in folks like him.

Anyway, what I find really intriguing about the piece wasn’t the argument itself, but that people are making the argument. Evolution has been a great enabler of collectivist ideologies. I find it interesting that we’re hearing second thoughts only now that it’s working the other way.*

*Please: no long emails about Herbert Spencer, so-called “social Darwinism” and “rightwing” evolutionary theory. We can talk about all that another day.