What is morality? Where does it come from? And why do most of us heed its call most of the time? In Braintrust, neurophilosophy pioneer Patricia Churchland argues that morality originates in the biology of the brain. She describes the "neurobiological platform of bonding" that, modified by evolutionary pressures and cultural values, has led to human styles of moral behavior. The result is a provocative genealogy of morals that asks us to reevaluate the priority given to religion, absolute rules, and pure reason in accounting for the basis of morality. Moral values, Churchland argues, are rooted in a behavior common to all mammals--the caring for offspring. The evolved structure, processes, and chemistry of the brain incline humans to strive not only for self-preservation but for the well-being of allied selves--first offspring, then mates, kin, and so on, in wider and wider "caring" circles. Separation and exclusion cause pain, and the company of loved ones causes pleasure; responding to feelings of social pain and pleasure, brains adjust their circuitry to local customs. In this way, caring is apportioned, conscience molded, and moral intuitions instilled. A key part of the story is oxytocin, an ancient body-and-brain molecule that, by decreasing the stress response, allows humans to develop the trust in one another necessary for the development of close-knit ties, social institutions, and morality. A major new account of what really makes us moral, Braintrust challenges us to reconsider the origins of some of our most cherished values.
Table of contents :
Patricia S. Churchland - Braintrust......Page 1
Contents......Page 8
List of Illustrations......Page 10
1. Introduction......Page 14
2. Brain-Based Values......Page 25
But Surely Only Humans Are Moral?......Page 36
3. Caring and Caring For......Page 40
Family Values: Belonging and Wanting to Belong......Page 46
Mate Attachment......Page 59
The Mechanisms of Mate Attachment......Page 61
What Else besides Oxytocin?......Page 67
Male Parenting......Page 69
What Is the Connection between Attachment and Morality?......Page 72
4. Cooperating and Trusting......Page 76
What Exactly Is Cooperation in Mammals?......Page 78
Cooperation in Mammals: A Few Examples......Page 81
Trust and Oxytocin: What Do We Know about Its Effects on Humans?......Page 84
Punishment and Cooperativity......Page 94
The Effect of Social Tension on Cooperativity......Page 99
Evolution and Human Cooperation......Page 102
5. Networking: Genes, Brains, and Behavior......Page 108
Genetic Networks......Page 110
Innate Moral Principles and Innate Moral Foundations......Page 116
Jonathan Haidt and Moral Foundations......Page 125
6. Skills for a Social Life......Page 131
Social Knowledge, Social Learning, Social Decision-Making......Page 140
Acquiring a Conscience......Page 143
Attributing Mental States to Self and Others......Page 145
Mirror Neurons and Mental Attribution (Theory of Mind)......Page 148
Humans, Intentions, and Mirror Neurons......Page 158
Mirroring and Empathy......Page 160
Imitation and “Mirror Neurons”......Page 166
Theory of Mind, Autism, and Mirror Neurons......Page 167
Imitation, Unconscious Mimicry, and Social Capacities......Page 169
7. Not as a Rule......Page 176
Kant and His Categorical Imperative......Page 186
Consequentialism and Maximizing Utility......Page 188
Facts about Rule Use......Page 194
Normativity and the Moral “Ought”......Page 198
The Naturalistic Fallacy......Page 199
Conscience and Morality......Page 204
Morality and Religion......Page 207
Does This Mean Morality Is an Illusion?......Page 212
Morality, Trust, and Cultural Niche Construction......Page 214
1. Introduction......Page 218
2. Brain-Based Values......Page 220
3. Caring and Caring For......Page 222
4. Cooperating and Trusting......Page 228
5. Networking......Page 232
6. Skills for a Social Life......Page 236
7. Not as a Rule......Page 243
8. Religion and Morality......Page 246
Bibliography......Page 248
Acknowledgments......Page 272
Index......Page 274
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