9.S52 Neuroscience of Morality
Fall 2012
Instructor: Rebecca R Saxe
Lecture: TR2.30-4 (46-5056)
Information:
How do we decide whether an action is morally wrong? Are there different kinds of moral wrongness? Once we know something is wrong, how do we decide whether or not to do it anyway? The classic puzzles of human morality have recently become accessible as topics in human psychology and neuroscience. This course will consider the origins of morality as a question for neuroscientists.
Announcements
How to be good
Slow down when your actions could benefit you at others expense, and when you might be rationalizing or reframing.Expand your moral circle; think about others’ perspectives
Recognize moral diversity; moral differences are not inherently immoral
Put your self-concept on the line; name the moral stakes
Don’t rely on self-control; make habits of good behavior, and remove temptations
Find moral role models, and seek ‘elevation’
Announced on 11 December 2012 4:41 p.m. by Rebecca R Saxe
What I learned
Harm and fairness are not the only moral concernsMoral emotions and somatic markers should be neither blindly trusted nor blithely ignored.
Loyalty and Authority can promote altruism and self-sacrifice, but also parochial concerns and craven conformity
Moral diversity is legitimate but possibly intolerable.
Tragic tradeoffs are inevitable, but can be a dangerous temptation for rationalization.
Announced on 11 December 2012 4:41 p.m. by Rebecca R Saxe
AAAS symposium info
http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2013/webprogram/Session5415.htmlAnnounced on 20 November 2012 3:49 p.m. by Rebecca R Saxe
Exam format
Just a reminder of what I said in class today about the final exam.It will be Dec 18, 1:30 - 4:30, in room 1015. It will be open book & computer but no internet. You will have to answer 4 essay questions.
One question will be identical to a question on a practice exam. For that one, you can just turn in the answer you wrote for the practice exam; you do not have to write a new answer for that question during the exam.
Feel free to ask any questions you have about this.
Announced on 06 November 2012 4:06 p.m. by Rebecca R Saxe
