Darwin Day 2010

Daniel SprockettFebruary 11, 2010

Outline

What is Morality?

Where does it come from?

What does a scientific understanding of the world have to say about moral issues?

Morality ideas about right and wrong

Altruism sacrifice for the benefit of another

individual

Symbiosis Mutualism

+/+

Commensalism 0/+

Parasitism -/+

Where does Morality come from?

Francis Collins The Language of God (2006):

The “Moral Law” is evidence of God’s existence Our Capacity for Selflessness Our Ability to understand the

difference between right and wrong

Kin Selection

W.D. Hamilton (1964) Hamilton’s Rule:

R x B > C in a given situation, the individual

assesses his neighbor's fitness against his own according to the coefficients of their relatedness

"I would lay down my life for two brothers or eight cousins” -J.B.S Haldane

Kin Selection

Kin Selection

Elsewhere in the animal kingdom: Other Primates Dolphins Elephants

Plants Slime Molds (Dictyostelium

descodeum)

Reciprocal Altruism

Robert Trivers (1971) Helping someone at a cost to

myself is beneficial if the likelihood that they’ll help you in the reverse situation is high.

The Golden Rule

Likelihood decreases as dispersal increases

Reciprocal Altruism

Can help explain social Functions of emotions: Friendship: Liking and Disliking Moralistic Aggression:

Protection from cheaters Gratitude and Sympathy Trust and Suspicion

Reciprocal Altruism

Other Animals: Warning calls Cleaner Fish

Reciprocal Altruism

Reciprocal Altruism

Reciprocal Altruism Game Theory:

The Prisoner’s Dilemma

The Selfish Gene

(1976) The Altruistic

Animal

What can cognitive neuroscience tell us

about how we make moral decisions?

Functional MRI Studies

Greene et al., Science, 2001

Morality vs. Pro-social Behavior

What does a scientific understanding of the world have to say about moral issues?

“Science is not in the business of shedding

light on moral debates.”

-Richard Dawkins

What does a scientific understanding of the world have to say about moral issues?

However, science CAN inform moral debates because:

Scientific thinking can reveal inconsistencies in moral philosophy.

scientific information can illuminate moral decisions Slavery Abortion Animal Rights

Questions?

“Morality: From the Heavens or From Nature?” By Dr. Andy Thomson, AAI 2009

“Nice Guys Finish First.” By Richard Dawkins, BBC 1987

www.MolecularFossils.com