Something radically new is in the air: new ways of understanding physical systems, new ways of thinking about thinking that call into question many of our basic assumptions. A realistic biology of the mind, advances in evolutionary biology, physics, information technology, genetics, neurobiology, psychology, engineering, the chemistry of materials: all are questions of critical importance with respect to what it means to be human. For the first time, we have the tools and the will to undertake the scientific study of human nature. — Edge.org
In late July, Edge organised a conference on the science of morality, gathering together a number of scientists, philosophers, psychologists, to talk about the new ways that we’re studying human morality, and the questions we face in this difficult but important discipline.
I’ve posted here the first part of the talk by Jonathan Haidt, which is excellent (full video here). Haidt, Professor in the Social Psychology area of the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia, talks about a new analogy for morality that revolves around taste, and has developed five key foundations of morality, parallel to the five kinds of taste receptors foudn on our tongues: care/harm, fairness/cheating, group loyalty and betrayal, authority and subversion, sanctity and degradation. He argues that “moral systems are like cuisines that are constructed from local elements to please these receptors.”
His talk is full of good insights that touch on issues relevant to science, such as the confirmation bias – or, the tendency for people to search for evidence to confirm their already-held beliefs. Confirmation bias is an issue that pervades scientific research and literature – how often have you allowed new data, or a colleague’s arguments, to fundamentally change your mind about something? Our inability to rise above it, despite being fully aware, is quite an interesting aspect of the way our minds work.
The text of all the talks is posted online on Edge’s webpages for the conference, and there’s a lot of interetsing reading material there from the other invitees. There are also video recordings of each talk (also mp3 files for download) and the subsequent discussions.
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