So I wonder how much point there is in trying to explain altruism on the basis of our instincts when, whatever findings you might come up with in this regard, one of the kinds of reason people will have for acting altruistically will be non-instinctive; it will have to do with moral principles or teachings, with things that have been learned. I'm not saying that such considerations will suffice in explanation, but they have an important part.Yes, but in a different subject area (Psychology, History, Politics) so I can't see how such considerations somehow lessen the point of theories that attempt to explain the development of altruistic behaviour in human species.
From an evolutionary standpoint, and with a perspective of millions of years, moral principles, religious teachings and the shared narratives of the actors involved just don't figure.
