Suggested readings for the April meetup

As agreed, the topic for April's meetup is:

Resolved: Evolutionary psychology has shown that ethics are how humans learn to trust and cooperate with one another for economic, social and reproductive benefit. Ethics are purely practical, not some Platonic form or Kantian imperative. Therefore, we have no reason to help homeless people, since they are unlikely to be in a position to reciprocate.

As for readings: please dust off your old copy of Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C. Dennett and reread Chapter 17, Can Ethics Be Naturalized?

Also, here's a link to Steven Pinker's recent article, The Moral Instinct.

Yes, Andrew, good proposal! Dennett's work, in my opinion, is always worth reading. His book "Danrwin's Dangerous Idea" awoke me from my dogmatic slumber much the way that Kant was awakened from his by the challenge presented by David Hume. Of course, I should not compare myself to those great minds! Anyhow, Dennett's arguments that ethics can be naturalized add fuel to any discussion of ethics and evolution.