Morality and Sociality

Moral Decision-Making: Personal Dilemmas

Question: Are you moral?

Moral Judgments: Impersonal Decisions

Question: Is an act moral?

Morality: Innate/Learned? Evolution?

Miller, G. 2008. Science 320:734.

Morality, 18th Century

David HumeEmotions

Moral Decisions

“Innate”

Immanuel KantReason (Should)

Moral Decisions Learned

Study of Morality, 21st Century

Emotion, “Reason” Interact

Strong Role for Emotion

Reason, Sometimes, a posteriori Justification

Different Brain Centers, Networks:

Emotion Affecting Moral Judgment

Utilitarian Logic (Reason, Learned)

Interaction of Brain Networks

Different Components

Emotional Context & Moral Judgment

J. Haidt (U Virginia): Empirical Approach

Subjects: College Students

“Your friend lied to obtain employment.”

A. Student at New Desk

B. Student at “Filthy, Stained” Desk

Response: Moral Judgment

Emotion & Moral Judgment/ J. Haidt

Friend Lied to Obtain Employment

A. Student at New Desk

B. Student at “Filthy, Stained” Desk

Filthy Desk “More Immoral”

Disgust (Emotion) Impacts Moral Judgment;

Stimulus Unrelated to Moral Issue

Impact Moral Decision-making?

Interaction: Emotion & Reason

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (VPC)Network of Brain Regions: “Prosocial”

Evoke Guilt, Compassion, Empathy

Emotions of Morality

VPC DamagedSome Moral Decisions Abnormal

Less Emotional Decisions Normal, Key

Impact of Reason Beyond Emotion

Learned Contribution to Moral Judgment

J. Haidt: Bases Common to Different Cultures

(1) Harm Done (2) “Fairness” (Equity)

(3) Loyalty (4) Respect for Authority

(5) Spiritual Purity

“Liberal” Stress (1) & (2)

[Probably Universal, Non-Human Primates]

“Conservative” Value (1) thru (5) Similarly

(1): Reason, (2) Emotion (Return to this)

Brosnan and de Waal (2003) Nature 425:297.

Female brown capuchin

(Cebus apella)

Exchange token with human, receive food

Grape preferred over slice of cucumber

Subjects view both exchanges

Subject with non-preferred reward: reject

ET: Equal IT: Inequality

EC: Grape/no token FC: Food only

Distributive Justice

Recall, All Cultures’ Morality:

(1) Reduce Harm Done (mean)

(2) Promote Fairness = Equity (variance)

Distributive Justice: How Trade-off Competing Objectives (1) and (2)

Morality of Allocating Benefits/Costs to Others

(1) Maximize Total Good

or Minimize Total Harm

Objective Quasi-Independent of

Distribution Among Individuals (Equity)

“Utilitarian Justice”

Rational Model for Distributive Justice

e.g. Sum Costs Across Individuals

Rational Justice by Reason (Not Emotion)

(2) Fairness

Implies Minimize Inequity/Variability in Costs

Among Individuals

“Moral Sentiment”

Despite Quadratic Complexity,

Fair vs Not Fair Modeled as Emotional

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092.

Distributive Justice

Efficiency

Equity

Utilitarian,

Rational

Fairness,

Emotional

Reduce (Mean) Harm

Reduce

Variability

Where Morality?

Regions of Brain:Substrates Associated with Moral

Judgments

Addressed DescriptivelyFunctional Magnet Res Imaging (fMRI)

“Fishing” for Increased Activity

Phases of Moral Decision

Address: Context of “Distributive Justice”

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092

Given Subjects Face Moral Decision (Hypothetical)

Describe {Reason Emotion} Quantitatively

fMRI: Associated Neural Centers

Subjects: Donors to Orphanage

Exercise: Distributive Justice (Allocation)

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092

26 Adult Donors

Hypothetical Allocation of Meals:

How Many Meals Take Away From 2 Groups of Children to Feed Third Group?

“Fairer”, But Less Total Fed

Design: Vary Options wrt Efficiency and Equity

(Recall Lack of “Ecological Validity”)

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092

Neural Substrates

Know Dopaminergic Regions

Computation, Learning of Reward [Including Indirect Reward of Charitable Giving]

(Assert) Reason: Efficiency, Utility, ~ Numerical Scale

Know Insular Cortex

Involved in Sense Fairness, Empathy

(Assert) Emotion: Equity

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092

Plot: Subjects

Effects of Efficiency & Inequity; Distributive Justice

Ordinate: Interaction

Abscissa: Inequity Aversion

Subjects With Stronger Response to Efficiency (Sum Meals) Less Responsive to Inequity

Linearity too simple?

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092

Locus of Activity

Interaction of Efficiency & Inequity

Stronger Signal:

More Responsive to Totals Meals

Appreciates “Rational,” But Responds to Both Efficiency AND Inequity

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092

Assume Separate Neural Regions for Efficiency and Equity

Bilateral (L & R) Putamen: Strong Response to

Efficiency (Sum Meals); Near 0 Response to Inequity

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092

L & R Putamen

MC: Efficiency

GC: Inequity

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092

Assume Separate Neural Regions for Efficiency and Equity

Bilateral Insular Cortex (“Emotional;” Seeks Fairness):

Strong Response to Inequity (Variability of meals);

Near 0 Response to Efficiency

Hsu et al. (2008) Science 320:1092

G: Inequity M: Efficiency

Why Morality?

Morality Evolved to Promote Individual’s Social Cohesion:

• Advantages of Group Membership• Reduce Coercion within Group• Treat Kin Cooperatively?• Acquire Cooperators, Reciprocal Altruists?

Morality and Sociality

Morality: What, Why, Where?

Hypothesis: Evolved Neural Systems Promote Individual’s Access to Benefits of Social Interaction

Assembled by Natural Selection in Social Primates

Combing Prosocial Emotional Capacities and

Rational Calculus of Benefits & Costs

Morality and Sociality

Distributive Justice

Rational, Utilitarian Component

Emotional, Fairness Component

Similarity to Risk-sensitivity

Larger Mean Rewards

Reduced Variability of Reward AND

“Calculated” in Different Brain Regions