...humans are more complicated and you can't explain all of "altruism" by just guilt feelings and warm fuzzies.
Chimpanzees also engage in altruism, even interspecies altruism. Humans tend to go a step further by using moral language and formalizing their morality. But how much of it is done for the purpose of signaling and rationalization compared to the altruism we share with chimpanzees and other animals?
But how much of it is done for the purpose of signaling and rationalization
What do you mean by "purpose" in this context? A "purpose" is a property of an optimization process, so the answer will depend on which optimization process you're talking about. Are you asking about evolution or our conscious thought process?
Today's post, Fake Utility Functions was originally published on 06 December 2007. A summary (taken from the LW wiki):
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