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Article 1315 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: millerjx@ucunix.san.uc.edu (Justin W. Miller)
Subject: Re: Animal Intelligence vs Human Intelligence
Message-ID: <1991Nov14.170750.24868@ucunix.san.uc.edu>
Keywords: lying,lies,truth,honesty,morals,values
Organization: Univ. of Cincinnati
References: <1991Nov05.084137.29880km <1991Nov14.131622.6078@nntp.hut.fi> <1991Nov14.145620.9823@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 91 17:07:50 GMT

In article <1991Nov14.145620.9823@mp.cs.niu.edu> rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes:
>In article <1991Nov14.131622.6078@nntp.hut.fi> jkp@cs.HUT.FI (Jyrki Kuoppala) writes:
>>In article <1991Nov05.084137.29880kmc@netcom.COM>, kmc@netcom (Kevin McCarty) writes:
>>>People usually tell the truth because that's
>>>what comes naturally.
>>
>>Yes, I agree.
>
>  Nonsense.  Telling the truth is LEARNED behaviour.  It DOES NOT come
>naturally.  How well you learn to tell the truth is culturally
>dependent.
>
>>>To lie requires significant mental effort of
>>>imagination and calculation.
>
>  Only if you need to create an elaborate story as a backdrop to your
>your lie.

~The immediately preceding is quite true, I believe. The dog example was ideal, especially as it is an example of our intrinsic INSTINCTS. Whereas almost every 'intelligent' species in existence carries on by instinct and does everything in its power to s
imply live, the human species (alone in its righteousness) -- or most of us-- have a supernatural need for morality and ethics. Nothing can be more correct than instinct itself. Lying is nothing more than deception, which is nothing more than a metho







hich a species can achieve its selfishly-desired ends. The motive is instinct; the effect is of no importance! The same can be seen in the young child before s/he is forced into shame for lying; or some such guilt for feeling gut instinct. Truth doesn't c
ome naturally-- instinct comes naturally: whatever we were born with and would develop without external influence. There is a vast problem here, and one can only begin to surmise the mass of it....
~justin






