We often discuss individual morality and ethics on the show–how people should or should not behave on an interpersonal level. But what about groups of people? How should they make sense of their competing value systems? On this month’s episode, we’re talking to Joshua Greene, who has an idea about how groups–what he calls modern tribes–should get along. He thinks people should develop something he calls a metamorality. And for him, the best contender for this metamorality is utilitarianism. He also describes how our brains make moral decisions–and why this matters when we’re thinking about morality amongst groups of people.
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For the episode transcript, click here.
Show Notes:
- Joshua Greene
- Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them
- His work on moral cognition, or how our brains process moral decisions
- The Trolley Problem
- Christiane thinks that if you are not squeamish, you should watch The Good Place’s take on the trolley problem. But we’re not going to link it because it’s gory.
- Garrett Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons
- John Stuart Mill, Jeremy Bentham and Utilitarianism
- Care ethics
Thanks to Evelyn Brosius for our logo. Featured image, “Village de Bourgogne” is by Jeanne Menjoulet and can be found here.
- “Thannoid” (1 minute variation) by Blue Dot Sessions
From sessions.blue
CC BY-NC 4.0 - Inamorata” by Blue Dot Sessions
From sessions.blue
CC BY-NC 4.0
To contact us, email examiningethics@gmail.com.
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