Звездный десант

           Anythingthatconflictswiththesurvivalinstinctactssoonerorlatertoeliminatetheindividualandtherebyfailstoshowupinfuturegenerations.Thistruthismathematicallydemonstrable,everywhereverifiable;itisthesingleeternalimperativecontrollingeverythingwedo."

           "Buttheinstincttosurvive,"hehadgoneon,"canbecultivatedintomotivationsmoresubtleandmuchmorecomplexthantheblind,bruteurgeoftheindividualtostayalive.Younglady,whatyoumiscalledyour‘moralinstinct’wastheinstillinginyoubyyoureldersofthetruththatsurvivalcanhavestrongerimperativesthanthatofyourownpersonalsurvival.Survivalofyourfamily,forexample.Ofyourchildren,whenyouhavethem.Ofyournation,ifyoustrugglethathighupthescale.Andsoonup.Ascientificallyverifiabletheoryofmoralsmustberootedintheindividual’sinstincttosurvive—andnowhereelse!—andmustcorrectlydescribethehierarchyofsurvival,notethemotivationsateachlevel,andresolveallconflicts."

           "Wehavesuchatheorynow;wecansolveanymoralproblem,onanylevel.Self-interest,loveoffamily,dutytocountry,responsibilitytowardthehumanrace—weareevendevelopinganexactethicforextra-humanrelations.Butallmoralproblemscanbeillustratedbyonemisquotation:

           ‘Greaterlovehathnomanthanamothercatdyingtodefendherkittens.’Onceyouunderstandtheproblemfacingthatcatandhowshesolvedit,youwillthenbereadytoexamineyourselfandlearnhowhighupthemoralladderyouarecapableofclimbing.