Intuitive ethics: how five sets of evolved intuitions give rise to culturally variable virtues, and to the culture war

old_uid1246
titleIntuitive ethics: how five sets of evolved intuitions give rise to culturally variable virtues, and to the culture war
start_date2006/05/17
schedule17h-19h
onlineno
detailsConférence en anglais
summaryMorality has long been thought to come from outside – from God, society, or parents – into children, who are empty vessels. In contrast, I argue for a nativist approach in which human nature includes evolved preparednesses to develop moral intuitions in five domains: harm/suffering, reciprocity/fairness, ingroup/outgroup, hierarchy/duty, and purity/piety. I then build upon this nativist foundation a cultural-psychological account of why moral systems vary around the world, and within nations. In brief : virtues are social constructions shaped by the local environment and historical tradition, but constrained by innate intuitions.  I present evidence showing the importance of intuition and automaticity in moral judgment, followed by evidence that the current American culture war may be understood as a battle between liberals, whose moral worldview is developed solely within the first two domains (harm/suffering and fairness/reciprocity), and conservatives, whose virtues are based on all five domains.  I will discuss (and ask for advice about) the ways in which moral judgment reflects the operation of evaluative modules structured both by evolutionary and ontogenetic processes.
responsiblesSperber, Origgi