The Matter of Love Read online

available,” Chris said. “A ground squirrel emits a warning whistle at a predator’s approach. That act gives away the squirrel’s location yet allows other squirrels to live. We could classify that whistle as an altruistic act.” Like that kiss of the true, what returned that princess to life. He hesitated, toying with what words to use. “A true sign of intra-species affection, love, you might say.”

  The counsellor glanced his way and they locked eyes briefly. Counsellor Jamal certainly knew of Chris’s ability to slip sarcasm into midsentence, so he stopped, freezing his look. Has he slipped, from sarcastic tone to any inkling of hope? He carefully shifted his gaze away and back down. The counsellor adeptly complied by switching topics but again.

  “How’s climate science?”

  Was Jamal seeking to retain the mood? This was another lecture, but somewhat associated.

  “Science has genetically coded Monarch butterflies now listed as extinct in the wild.” He clearly emphasized sarcasm now as he spoke in a flash of bitter resolution. “Some among the oh so clever people act in the future interests of all. People cause climate change which compounds biodiversity loss. And our global tribe has chosen climate silence—denial in psychological terms. Effective towards major natural events for those around the campfire, but no longer. And yes, social evolution helps us understand our refusal to abandon our tribe.”

  “Frustrating,” Jamal said. “And culture?”

  “Our cultural models have the best potential for adjustment. Yet rational argument has no impact—people hear friends, neighbours and family, their tribal anecdotes, not reason.”

  “No one?”

  “As per the Monarch analogy some... but only a few.” Lecture topics fading Chris slipped into a personal rant. “You tell the Christians Jesus was Aramaic and they scoff. He had dark skin, black curly hair, no way they say, he had blue eyes. People are hard core tribal and to support their tribe they turn away, they don’t want to hear a version that interferes with… well, say their childhood stories.” The conversations in the church they attended when the children were young.

  “What about those few?”

  He half smiled, knowing he would talk his way through this one. “Now, and back then—okay, tribal commitment might be fluid but resistance to change will be strong. One of the first guys to shift support to Jesus after the nail-up-on-the-stick day was stoned to death – Stephen – people committed to tribe just don’t want their core beliefs challenged. Jewish leaders gnashed their teeth. Especially a faith based tribe—that group highly resists anything new. Human nature. People join groups, and having joined, they cheer on their group as superior to competing groups.”

  ‘Today’s scientists?”

  “Take climate change. Overwhelming scientific evidence remains ignored. The Middle Eastern wars were sparked by droughts, a climate change influenced food shortage! Take the Syrian conflict. But the majority hear only of droughts and refugees, the familiar, instinctively ignoring the underlying cause.”

  The counsellor started to speak, then hesitated.

  “You just added proof to the theory.” Chris said. “Your pause supports climate silence.”

  “True,” Jamal admitted.

  “So what’s the point? People will fizzle out, self-destruct, wipe themselves off the planet like that last cluster of Monarchs.” He felt the rant gain energy. “They trash their life support system and say oh poor me. Then they adapt to the chaos and lash out at the government they elected. Or alternately at the country they pick that day as the opposing tribal enemy. The new player on the eusocial stage, the human species remains maladapted to survive at a planetary scale.”

  Chris sagged as his sword shredded any bird song. That morning, finished writing letters and secure in knowing no higher love, he mixed that vial of salts into solution and injected the required cyanide milligrams. Her having no syringe, he sympathized for a cynical moment with the witch’s method. What a European witch might have done to access white oleander tea he had mused.

  “Could altruism be energy alone? Or a structured fabric?”

  “What?”

  “Just reading here.” Jamal looked up. “You are familiar with this superseding theory.”

  Chris sighed. His time here would soon be fulfilled; he could present final lecture part two.

  “The latest theory of virtue. Multi-level group selection—a process where evolution progresses towards sacrificially collaborative traits, no longer based on kinship but due to highly cooperative communities beating out poorly cooperating communities. Supporting evidence is based on population genetics applied to multiple levels of natural selection and evolutionary game theory. Analysis compares individual and family selection to community selection with a big tribal instinct dividing line there.”

  “I see,” The counsellor said, glancing at his screen. “First name makes the author primary?” Chris nodded. “So this paper under Winston writes to the general public... for someone like me. He mentions the creation theory.”

  “He’ll never get that published in a journal.” Chris met Winston at a conference. As known leader on group selection, his Shuman authored research reiterated and emphasizing human origin through random chance—no god influence.

  “Maybe not in academic literature,” Jamal said. “That’s all you read?”

  “And the odd fairy tale.” The universe was so structured, so mathematical, but only in the realm of physics. What did it matter now?

  “Any proof yet?” The counsellor ignored him. “That no god exists?”

  “Definitive proof, no,” Chris hesitated. To improve the world, moral values held value. The creation theory mindset carried him through his youth. “Kin selection theorists agree with the new theory on that issue—human existence came about totally by chance.” Chris drew his finger across his thumbnail. As droves of scientists dropped off any believer list, claiming no god, no God, he followed as one of the last.

  “People do love each other, Winston writes,” Jamal said. “Protection and nurturing of the young creates a people wired for compassion.”

  “Mammalian instinct.” As a theoretical biologist Chris had endlessly searched the data for a greater good signature. Among kin, family love varied but a mother’s love for her children stood out. That now sank into the mire of theoretical oblivion as the Kin theory died.

  “God was imagined?”

  “Tribal instinct,” Chris said. “A creation story bonds a tribe and that bonded tribe survives.”

  The homo sapiens species, uncreated, evolved over millions of years by genetic chance on the plains of Africa, with luck and many tries. Or were they tries, if no one was trying? The equation of love remained elusive, non-existent and Chris had no further tick of enthusiasm to search.

  “Religion doesn’t fit the new theory?”

  Religious stories are so full of holes. He had discounted any second coming along with creation theory. Long term survival counts on intelligent self-understanding based on greater independence of thought and he knew where that type of thinking certainly would not originate.

  “Religions will never coalesce with science,” Chris said. “How can they when each teaching has a different creation story, all necessarily based on ignorance of what really happened in the past.” He grimaced. “The nature of humans and tribalism leave humanity with conflicting beliefs each claiming to be the absolute truth.”

  Jamal’s eyes appeared to be skimming in a moment of silence. “Did you ever read that search for meaning book?” He spoke almost absently.

  “So the Nazi inmate survives within his own mind, no matter what his circumstance. My problem is within my own mind—that’s where I have doubt. No guidance.”

  “And you need guidance?”

  He hesitated. “Look, I need more than what I find in people. Look at the market system we maintain, driven by fear and greed. That inherent fear we have, that’s of each other.” He looked squarely at Jamal. “The fear of them by us comes from good cause. In any
past village, or empire, in any war, any recent homicide. Though shalt not kill but we are a species that kills...each other.”

  “Could climate justice become social justice? In the villages, in the new market place you allude to people needing? Climate change could be an opportunity. For those aware, like you Chris.”

  Chris looked to the window. “Our inherent nature rings hollow,” he said in a tedious tone. “We need outside guidance, and an amiable guidance. To design a market model past fear. That requires faith, a faith that I don’t have.”

  “Scientists have theory faith,” the counsellor said. “You told me that.”

  “I find no viable creation story.” He could feel his voice become loud, and consciously shifted back to lecture hall calm. “Like all people, I need that.”

  “And something to care for you,” Jamal added. “Otherwise, what’s the point?”

  “Yes,” Chris felt his tired eyes soften. “Like any child.”

  “You need a personal understanding of a God power.”

  “That’s more or less true...” Chris took a breath.

  The counsellor paused. “Does science not tell a story of creation?”

  “Yes it does,” Chris said. “But...all based on random chance. Probability.”

  “How about this?” The counsellor looked at his screen, speaking carefully. “Your latest social evolution theory postulates a new universal definition.”

  “Oh yeah, that we are permanently unstable and