A provocative new account of how morality evolved 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.
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