Surely with animals it is instinct and not taught culture because with 
humans when it comes down to family or property the protection of what's 
mine is basic.
Even the most benevolent will more often than not protect what's their's 
against any cultural bias.    "Basic instinct" and "culture" are two 
separate entities.
I still contend there is no such thing as Britishness because in every 
culture religion, status and human emotion and upbringing will dictate 
differing views.

Dennis Durrant


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Read" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 7:41 PM
Subject: Re: [LOCAL-HISTORY] Britishness


>I can't see that this innate tendency is anything to do with Britishness. 
>It is surely a zoological tendency, common mainly to mammals but also many 
>other species.  Our cat will attack any other cats it sees coming into our 
>garden but not because it is a British cat. A black blackbird attacks an 
>albino blackbird, whether British or not. Bees attack any intruder coming 
>into the hive, even bees from another hive.
>
> Brian Read
>
>
> On 2 Feb 2007, at 18:25, ernie pollard wrote:
>
>> As a biologist with a (relatively) late in life interest in history, it 
>> is interesting to me that, as Nick Hudd has said, this topic links the 
>> two subjects. We are innately co-operative (even apparently altruistic) 
>> with people we identify as of our own community, but hostile to those who 
>> look or sound different and who may be dangerous. Strong feelings of 
>> these sorts aided survival. At first they were no doubt at the tribal 
>> level, but came to involve class, nationality, race and religion and to 
>> do great damage, especially as we became more efficient at killing.
>>
>> Now we understand something of the genetic basis, perhaps eventually we 
>> will be able to keep the good things and discard the bad; progress seems 
>> slow, but I hope we are slowly shedding class, racial and religious 
>> prejudices and that this is a welcome change in Britishness
>>
>> Ernie Pollard
>
>
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