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The Moral Instinct Definition Morality is a system of complex behaviors which evolved to promote social cohesion and hence contribute to individual survival. The Moral Instinct • Universal innate tool-kit created thru Darwinian selection and modified by cultural and religious influence. • Modeled on Chomsky’s universal language. • Largely unconscious without conscious reasoning. • Emotion first. Reason follows post-hoc. • Generally involves issues of harm, fairness and disgust. • Damage causes deficit in moral judgment. Morality The Moral System • Complex interrelationship of somatic sensations, limbic input, and frontal lobe restraint and modification. • Unconscious- fast, automatic, limited and involuntary. • Conscious: slow, deliberate, wide-ranging and thoughtful. The Social Imperative • Groups survive better than individuals in securing food and in protection from predators. • Animals demonstrate mutualism, empathy and cooperative territorialism. • A system of complex behaviors evolved to promote social cohesion and hence contribute to individual survival. • Cooperation and reciprocity. Moral v. Social Rules • Moral Rules are universal principles with early childhood acquisition that govern welfare and fairness and usually expressed unconsciously. • Social Rules govern group coordination which are acquired thru learning and tend to be more relative and less imperative. Natural • • • • • Unconscious Orbitofrontal Instinctive Favor those close Active worse than passive • Immediate > distant Rational • • • • • Conscious Dorsolateral frontal Weigh priorities Treat all the same. Consequences important • Immediate = distant Animal Behavior • • • • Reciprocity- Food for sex (chimps) Theory of Mind- Concealment and empathy Mutualism but not long-term cooperation. Animals have laser-beam intelligence. Humans have flood-light intelligence i.e. greater flexibility. Gazzaniga Social and Ethical Modules • Reciprocity- fairness and equality • Suffering- sympathy • Hierarchy – rank and dominance • In-group / out-group – identifiable differences • Purity – disease defense, virginity Ethical Modules • • • • Universal toolkit. Analogy with language. Intuitive, unconscious, generally uncompromising Emotion first, reason follows Swiss Army knife analogy. Injury (Phineas Gage) Disease ( Frontal Temporal Dementia) Fairness/Reciprocity Module • Social contract: fairness and equality. • Cooperation: Virtues- trust, gratitude, respect, admiration, satisfaction. • Cheat: guilt, shame, gossip, revenge, contempt, anger. • Issues of Distribution. Equality (need) vs. Proportionality (effort) Harm/Suffering Module • Harm condemned with exceptions e.g. selfdefense. • Intent vs. accident. • Sympathy for those in pain, contempt for those who cause pain. • Virtues: compassion, empathy, kindness. • Conflict- Infanticide, abortion. In-group / Out-group Module • Kin group cohesion ( shared genes) • Detection of danger. • Identifiable differences –skin color, dress, and accent. • Virtues: cooperation, self-sacrifice, loyalty, patriotism, and heroism. • Robber’s Cave. Golden Rule • Present in all major religions- a statement of reciprocity. • Hamilton’s Rule- Golden Rule is proportional to genetic relatedness. Disgust/Purity Module • Defense against disease. • Universal disgust and fear: spoiled foods, body fluids, death, pedophilia • Control of genetic certainty-virginity. • Powerful, rapid and automatic. • Cultural- Stereotypes, language, skin color. Secrets, Lying and Promises • • • • • Less rigid and more situationally dependent. Part of the moral toolkit. “ white lies” Intention v. omission Breaking promises for the greater good. Delayed Gratification • Moral support system to control temptation for long term goals. • Impulsive behavior leads to social problems: gambling, overeating, sexual promiscuity, alcoholism. • Children and cookies- SAT scores, stable marriages. The Marshmallow Experiment. • When resources limited, impulsivity may be better. Trolley Dilemma Trolley Dilemma • Scenarios • Principle of intentional battery: forbids unpermitted bodily contact. • Principle of foreseen consequences: foreseen bad effects are outweighed by the greater good. • Choose kin over non-kin, humans over animals, in-group over foreigners. Summary • Moral actions are judged by unconscious and inaccessible systems. • Principles are fixed as to what is forbidden, permissible, and obligatory but the range of behaviors are not limited. • Religions and laws do not create moral judgments. They have adopted them. • Rationality and utilitarianism do not always prevail.