The Prejudice Hormone

'A chemical [Oxytocin] well known for encouraging bonding may also underlie bias' - Scientific American Mind, May/June 2011, p8.

Chomsky's 3 deepest semantic structures underlie more than most people think. They are fundamental to so much of how we think.

They map onto the three fundamental structures with which we can specify any algorithm, be it a computer program, a recipe in cooking, a circuit diagram. The three specification units are (using my words):

Sequence - this then this then this
Divergence - if this then that otherwise something else
Repetition - do this until/while such and such is the case

[OK, there is also a fourth unit required - "here's one I made earlier", (subroutine, sauce, etc) - but it is a meta unit and this pre-made unit slots in as one of the sequence units]

Now the repetition unit creates a loop and a loop has a boundary. Boundary conditions are fundamental to our behaviour and understandings.

So when the French searched for a fundamental rally-cry that would encapsulated all they chose Liberte, Fraternite, Egalite.

These three map onto the three deep semantic structures. Fraternite relates to the boundary, loop or membership condition.

So it should come as no surprise that a chemical that operates in us in relationship to membership should also signal non-membership as well.

A boundary defines an inside and also defines an outside.

It's deeply within our semantics, regardless of culture or language, because it is in our human nervous system.

To have a concept of inclusion or membership or fraternity or commonality and so on automatically defines exclusion, non-membership and just simple 'other', 'etrange', 'fremd'.

Nothing laws or recommendations of the PC people can do about this.

[In case you are interested, Sequence = Egalite and Divergence (or choice) = Liberte]