Quiz 2 - The Cognitive Science Of Morality Flashcards
Why do we have morality?
How people think about right and wrong, how does thinking happen?
Evolved trait to help us take care of people in our group - not so much for people outside of our circle of people we care about
The expanding circle
Self Interest - I care about myself and my family - genes replicated in next generation
Instinct for gene preservation in humans/animals
Kinship - closer to you has stronger tie - kin selection
friendship - historical cooperation - partners share and reciprocate
Tribalism - I care about us (in group) not them (outside of group)
Tragedy of the Commons - a lot of people have access to a shared resource - nobody takes responsibility for protecting it
Evolved morals in humans took care of this
Anthropological survey shows that ethnocentrism is universal - care about all people equally - the tragedy of common sense morality requires abstract reasoning and values
How do we know morality has evolved
Evolved and well learned behaviours work faster than deliberate ones
When people are forced to play prisoner’s dilemma game quickly they are more likely to cooperate
Time to think vs multi tasking allows one to make decision ie convict other criminal over self for freedom deal ie. save 5 lives by sacrificing 1
Harder to do by putting hand on person vs flipping a switch ie stealing from store vs pirating a movie video
Greene - Footbridge/Trolley Explanation
Two moral dilemmas
System 1 - emotional, fast, rapid feeling automatic, unconscious process
System 2 - slow, rational, deliberate thinking, reasoning process
Greatest good for greatest number of people - New brain - Utilitarianism (actions that support happiness and oppose actions that cause harm/unhappiness - it is wrong to kill cannot do it vs Old brain - Deotology (actions based on rules of good or bad) - emotional decision it is wrong to harm my child
Hadith’s moral foundation theory - moral dilemmas
Different levels of strength
C - Care/Harm - LW/RW - cherish protect others
L - Liberty/Oppression - LW/RW - render justice according to set rules
A - Authority/subversion - obeying tradition and legitimate authority
F - Fairness/Cheating - RW - hatred of tyranny
L - Loyalty/Betrayal - RW - standing with your group/family/nation
S - Sanctity/Degradation - RW irritation for disgusting things/food/actions
Politics is genetic
Disgust
People that discuss us - obese, street person - we judge more harshly for moral infraction - more likely to be arrested - keeping clean vs tipping a server
Stealing a stapler - not viewed as disgusting
Moral dumbfounding
Buys a chicken has sex with it then cooks and eats it
Deemed morally wrong but can’t say why/reason
Should you trust your instincts
Feelings judge whether morally wrong or right
People think something is immoral when smells bad or bitter tastes
Feelings vs principles
People look to their feelings to judge whether something is moral or not
Two pillars of morality -
Reciprocity - fairness
Empathy
Compassion - body channels empathy - takes on emotion - yawn is contagious
