The New Synthesis in Moral Psychology (original) (raw)

NASA/ADS

Abstract

People are selfish, yet morally motivated. Morality is universal, yet culturally variable. Such apparent contradictions are dissolving as research from many disciplines converges on a few shared principles, including the importance of moral intuitions, the socially functional (rather than truth-seeking) nature of moral thinking, and the coevolution of moral minds with cultural practices and institutions that create diverse moral communities. I propose a fourth principle to guide future research: Morality is about more than harm and fairness. More research is needed on the collective and religious parts of the moral domain, such as loyalty, authority, and spiritual purity.

Publication:

Science

Pub Date:

May 2007

DOI:

10.1126/science.1137651

Bibcode:

2007Sci...316..998H