morals
Original: morals on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
First person: Do you think there are fundamental moral truths?
Second person: Nah, it's all social signalling.
Panel 2:
Second person: It's easy to prove. Imagine you know a guy who's going back in time to kill baby Hitler. We're all basically okay with that. We like that guy.
Panel 3:
Second person: But, imagine he's going back in time to EAT baby Hitler. What do you think of him now?
First person: Hmm...
Panel 4:
Second person: See, you're automatically evaluating his moral standing in your social group. He's up because he signalled willingness to harm bad people, but he's down because he signalled he has the taste for baby flesh.
Panel 5:
Second person: We're all just glorified stimulus-response machines, constantly evaluating esteem for others based on benefit to self.
Panel 6:
First person: If it's all signalling, why do we take these long walks together? Why keep me as a friend?
Second person: We have kidney transplant compatibility.
Votey:
First person (angrily, pointing): Stop visualizing my internal organs!
First person: Do you think there are fundamental moral truths?
Second person: Nah, it's all social signalling.
Panel 2:
Second person: It's easy to prove. Imagine you know a guy who's going back in time to kill baby Hitler. We're all basically okay with that. We like that guy.
Panel 3:
Second person: But, imagine he's going back in time to EAT baby Hitler. What do you think of him now?
First person: Hmm...
Panel 4:
Second person: See, you're automatically evaluating his moral standing in your social group. He's up because he signalled willingness to harm bad people, but he's down because he signalled he has the taste for baby flesh.
Panel 5:
Second person: We're all just glorified stimulus-response machines, constantly evaluating esteem for others based on benefit to self.
Panel 6:
First person: If it's all signalling, why do we take these long walks together? Why keep me as a friend?
Second person: We have kidney transplant compatibility.
Votey:
First person (angrily, pointing): Stop visualizing my internal organs!
Alt text
A six-panel comic. Two people walk together across a snowy landscape under a starry purple sky, talking. Panel 1: One asks, 'Do you think there are fundamental moral truths?' The other replies, 'Nah, it's all social signalling.' Panel 2: The skeptic says, 'It's easy to prove. Imagine you know a guy who's going back in time to kill baby Hitler. We're all basically okay with that. We like that guy.' Panel 3: 'But, imagine he's going back in time to EAT baby Hitler. What do you think of him now?' The friend, a person with dark curly hair and big eyes, says 'Hmm...' Panel 4: 'See, you're automatically evaluating his moral standing in your social group. He's up because he signalled willingness to harm bad people, but he's down because he signalled he has the taste for baby flesh.' Panel 5: The two walk across the snow as the skeptic continues, 'We're all just glorified stimulus-response machines, constantly evaluating esteem for others based on benefit to self.' Panel 6: The friend asks, 'If it's all signalling, why do we take these long walks together? Why keep me as a friend?' The skeptic answers flatly, 'We have kidney transplant compatibility.' Votey: A close-up of the friend, now angry and pointing, shouting 'Stop visualizing my internal organs!'
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.