ABSTRACT
Human beings would need to be redesigned from the bottom up to behave any different than they had throughout history. On closer inspection, the last two admonitions about the road to utopia being paved by natural and cultural selection are far from anomalous. Naturally, from the biblical Yahweh commanding the Israelites to smite their foes to modern states butchering one another in the name of democracy, killing has always been legitimized in certain circumstances. The Fourth Admonition reflects the species-specific demands made by our culture, social life, and intelligence. Human evolution selected for prolonged childhood—the lengthiest in any animal that ever lived—for a reason. The very competitors who previously battled one another as the Knicks or the Lakers bury the hatchet and congeal into Team USA to compete against other national teams. Rivalry shifts into a lower gear. Social distrust nixes the formation of information networks where ideas can spark off one another and increase know-how.
