Morality and Choices
The concepts that seem most significant and, moreover, interesting from the readings are the analysis of morality and how it affects us as a society. Whether it be individuals interpretations, or the interpretations of a division of people whose ability to empathize has been impaired in some capacity (ie: psychopaths and autistic individuals). One of the biggest themes of morality was in how they defined it: “When you act in a moral manner […] you are making decisions that take people besides yourself into account. You are thinking about the feelings of others, sympathizing with their state of mind” (169).
“Moral decisions require taking other people into account” (175).
This analysis of what makes empathy tick was not limited to the abstract. Most people, when talking about morals, associate it with ethos-based reasoning, that it is both logical and rational. However, this is counterintuitive to the workings of morality. “We’ve assumed that our moral decisions are the by-products of rational thought […] but these arguments miss the central reality of moral decision, which is that logic and legality have little to do with anything” (173). Instead, the reading made the association that emotion, specifically empathy, played the largest role in morality. The ability to perceive yourself in someone else’s shoes is what forced people to make the right choice out of moral obligation. This alluded back to religion in a very specific pattern; while most people would say that following a religion makes them morally conscious, it was instead the moral compass that defined the religion. “Religion simply allows us to codify these intuitions, to translate the ethics of evolution into a straightforward legal system” (178). While this does not always lead people to make the morally correct decision, it does cause most people to make decisions that are not strictly based on themselves — with or without religion.
“We aren’t angels, but we also aren’t depraved hominids” (178).
This idea of empathy creating morality linked back to the initial discussion on psychopaths in an interesting fashion: psychopaths are unable to empathize with others because they lack the chemical balance in their brain, in addition to potential brain damage, to form a moral code. Interestingly enough, there was another group of individuals who displayed similar, albeit less drastic results: autistic individuals. In the ultimatum game, autistic participants were most likely to offer a low sum of money, often 80% lower (less than a nickel) than their non-autistic counterparts, and then become frustrated when they did not accept what they believed to be a favorable deal. They were unable to predict the emotional response of the responder, and thus could not offer a deal they would take. This would leave an observer to conclude that autistic individuals would have a difficult time establishing a moral compass. “Because of this, they often make decisions that […] ‘are so rational they can be hard to understand” (186).
The second portion of the reading linked into the questions posed by the first section by ways of how our brains make decisions. Due to previously held biases, it can be hard to change someone’s mind, even if they stand on the morally incorrect side of the argument. “At such moments, rationality actually becomes a liability, since it allows us to justify practically any belief” (206). No amount of moral or rational explanation could sway their viewpoints, and that is what made them dangerous. However, this argument within the brain also could aid someone in making a moral decision; when the brain is at war arguing with itself, the moral voice is often heard by individuals and can help guide them to a decision that will not hurt anyone else.
Most of my work with my community partner has been to help bolster their image through print materials. With this, I have learned a lot about the organization, most of which has been of no surprise to me. I have felt a significant amount of compassion towards the kids who go their either to hang out after school or receive help on their homework, and often engage in small talk with them as I work. I always make sure to say goodbye to everyone when I leave, and the community atmosphere is astounding. This, however, has not affected my emotional brain or my brain in argument in a negative way. Instead, it has reinforced what I am doing, and reaffirms that I am making the right decision by helping. “
“But here’s the lovely secret to altruism: it feels good” (183).
While this subject did not strongly influence the beliefs I have — mostly because they are in line with the readings — they did give me an interesting perspective on the outside view of the situation. I am very empathetic towards others, and the fact that others aren’t is sometimes confusing and perplexing to me. The idea that morality is based off emotion makes a lot of sense to me, and allows me to form a better idea in my head of how it affects other people. I hope to use this with my community partner as I move forward with them.
