Theory Design Lab/Evolution and the categorical imperative
Please help improve the educational quality of this resource to increase engagement by participants. Any concrete improvements made by January 6, 2025 may allow it to be kept. You may remove {{proposed deletion}} from this resource's source text to contest this proposal, with or without discussion. The Nominator gave the following reason for their nomination:
|
This resource is intended for
use in the subject philosophy.This resource is intended for
use in the subject practical philosophy.This resource is intended for
use in the subject biology.Cleaning symbiosis
editThe cleaner fish can swim into the jaws of fish of prey and is not attacked. The larger fish even spit out the cleaner fish when the fish has finished removing parasites.
Exercises
edit- Why do the fish of prey not attack the cleaner fish? Do the two fish have an agreement of any kind? How?
- Even if the fish had an agreement the larger fish could swallow the tiny cleaner fish when it was no longer required. Large fish are not known for particularly honorable behavior. Swallowing the tiny fish is merely illogical if the categorical imperative is applied: If every fish would swallow cleaner fish then the cleaner fish might die out.
- Do the fish of prey understand the categorical imperative?
- If the fish of prey more probably do not understand the categorical imperative then what makes them adhere to the categorical imperative? Isn't that possibly a far reaching wisdom for evolution to convey (e.g. how often had the cleaner fish to die out before all other fish were genetically programmed to spit out the cleaner fish?)
This resource has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. This applies worldwide. You are advised to consider the possibility of extraterrestrial intellectual property rights claims that do require mentoring duties in compensation ("either mentoring or trouble with extraterrestrials").
Content released into the public domain may be used for any purpose without attribution, including commercial activities and creation of derivative works. |
The content is provided without any warranties of fitness for a particular purpose or suitability for pupils in a specific grade.