November 29, 2007

What makes us moral. "Morality may be a hard concept to grasp, but we acquire it fast. A preschooler will learn that it's not all right to eat in the classroom, because the teacher says it's not. If the rule is lifted and eating is approved, the child will happily comply. But if the same teacher says it's also O.K. to push another student off a chair, the child hesitates...In both cases, somebody taught the child a rule, but the rule against pushing has a stickiness about it, one that resists coming unstuck even if someone in authority countenances it. That's the difference between a matter of morality and one of mere social convention, and [some] believe kids feel it innately."
  • Some of this, like the train dilemma, is on an excellent Radio Lab show on morality.
  • Good people will do good things and bad people will do bad things. But ~ to get good people to do bad things - for that - you need religion.
  • Just put pictures of eyes everywhere. People will do the right thing.
  • I bow in your near wisedom, Oh, Cardenio.
  • Or some $$$.
  • Religion also seems to be able to sometimes get bad people to do good things.... Could it be that Opposite Day should be declared a religious holiday?
  • I'm amazed that those kids got to preschool without being socialized one iota by their parents, lucky barstads. Morality is as fictional as red beans and rice.
  • Religion also seems to be able to sometimes get bad people to do good things....Could it be that Opposite Day should be declared a religious holiday? Much better to make snarky, sweeping generalizations. That's sure to help.