I posted three discussion on other people’s blog, but they did not replay.
1.I agree with that every in this world are different and different people have different value. As you talked about, many religious people have their same value, such as believing god. I know that you want express that individual are different and have different value. But, I fell like some group of people have same value or close value in the world. For example, most Americans have some same values. and most Chinese may have some same values. But these same values are different. I think it is because of different culture or different ancestor or gene. In the reading, the author said that so that there is good deal of evidence that human beings are not primarily driven by genetically determined but are rather to make their own choices (p8). The author give some examples, but I think it does not prove it too much, and think the example does not express the truth. I do agree that people can choose any value they want, but people are also driven by the instinct. For example, if people are driven by the instinct is true. And then , people can not prove that it is true or not true. This question is close to the egg and chicken question, pretty funny. I believe that people are driven by the instinct, which are too hard to read or understand or has the ability to change the instinct.
About the four basic methods and two synthetic methods, which are the author try to explain what are the instinct and how it works. I believe most you talked about and have the same or close value with you. And I think most of our decision are made by more than one methods, or all of these method or more than these six methods. I just want to say that there are too much we do not understand and do not know about ourselves. People are trying to more about themselves and and the same time we can know more about others. This is why I think this topic is so interesting. For example, if you can understand yourself, and then you can understand others. Wow, that was such a big advantage,because of this, we can live better. Just a joke, lol.
2.I pretty with your ideas and the authors idea. Jus like the author talked about “but we might still be controlled by the influence of genes on our underlying personality or, alternatively, by peer pressure, “ (pg 8) We have the same idea about we are controlled by the genes. I think that most of our values are choose by the genes. For example, if we can choose any values, and then it is not possible that Americans and Chinese can have some values. Besides, it is so hard to understand other people’s idea because people can choose any value which they believe. It is interesting. For example, one American guy can only speak English, and one Chinese guy can only speak Chinese. But they can have some same values. If it is not by the genes, how people can do that. Some people may think that people have different ideas, I think it is because of the society. People want to live, so basically they just want to chose some value which are benefit to them. Society can influence people’s value and can not change the genes. So i think that people can choose values but they are still driven by the genes. It is hard to understand, sorry about my English.
3.The reading stated, “there is a good deal of evidence that human beings are not primarily driven by genetically determined instincts” (Lewis 7) It was very interest about this topic. According to my understand, it did not deny that human beings are driven by genetically determined instincts. Because it used the word “primarily”. It means that sometimes we are driven by instincts. As you talked about you always placed education and wisdom close to the top of your list of value and your parents did not explicitly tell you that aspect of their own value. I think it prove that human beings are driven by genetically determined instincts. Even though your parents did not tell you, but you already known that. Just because you have your parents’ genes. It is just my personal idea about this article. If you disagree with my idea, it is totally fine.