It’s nearly time for our #DarwinDayLecture featuring @Oliver_S_Curry – Darwin Day medalist 2021 – and our President @theAliceRoberts. Over 3000 people will be watching, amazing! We start at 7pm & will live-tweet. Stay tuned. #DarwinDay #DarwinDay21 humanism.org.uk/events/darwind…
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#DarwinDayLecture 2021 is go! @Oliver_S_Curry explores morality as a mechanism for human cooperation. It’s a selection of cooperative rules for different types of cooperative behaviour – for promoting the common good, he says.
Morality is a set of solutions to problems of cooperation, he says. Common morality: Kinship (love your family), mutualism (help your group), exchange (return favours), heroism (be brave), deference (respect your superiors), division (be fair), possession (respect of property).
It's only a matter of time, @Oliver_S_Curry says, until we can see how genes may reflect morality. Now, he addresses an age old question: is morality innate to human beings? Research with infants has demonstrated moral behaviour in babies as young as 4 months olds, he says.
As children grow up, moral behaviour becomes more self evident – the research suggest. The possession of property, for example, shows itself in slightly older children.
Is morality universal? @Oliver_S_Curry asks. The answer, according to his research, is yes. In a study that used 600 accounts of ethics from 60 different societies around the world – the common principles (kinship, mutualism, etc) were found in 99.9% of cases.
But though these morals are universal, different societies and cultures will put more emphasis on kinship, for example, than others. The point, however, is that human social groups will always use these universal morals as a mechanism for cooperation.
These morals are evident across the world – from all people across many cultures. They are not exclusive to the West. They are part of a common core of universal principles. Morality is always a cooperative phenomenon. @Oliver_S_Curry
And of course, this means, says Curry that when confronted with a moral question, we should ask ourselves what is the most cooperative solution?
Darwin de-mystified morality, says @Oliver_S_Curry, in that morality has a basis in evolution and not the supernatural. For millennia human beings have had to confront problems together in social groups – this is where our morality stems from, says Curry.
'Hopefully the creationist theory of morality will recede', says Curry. There are more rational and scientific alternatives to the view of supernatural morality. Morality without religion is central to the humanist worldview. Human beings have long been moral without theology.
'We don't have to evoke supernatural phenomena' to explain morality says @theAliceRoberts. Science is 'filling the gaps' of our knowledge, says Dr Curry. There’s a thriving science of morality incorporating evolutionary biology, animal behaviour, psychology, and anthropology.
Q&A: Which will advance the ideals of humanism further – philosophy or science? 'Science' says Dr Curry. Moral philosophy very quickly becomes a debate about human nature – which science is increasingly able to explain in biological and evolutionary terms.
The more we understand the genetic and cultural basis for morality, the more we are able to understand human nature, and potentially, the future of robotics and AI, says Dr Curry.
Q&A: On politics being 'uncooperative' and therefore 'immoral'. 'Politics is largely about which kind of theory is the most cooperative,' says Curry. Humanity's invention and commitment of democracy – though far from perfect – is certainly a step in the right direction.
Thank you everyone, and to Dr Curry for providing a fantastic #DarwinDayLecture! @theAliceRoberts has [virtually] presented Dr Curry with our prestigious Darwin Day Medal! Well done and thank you @Oliver_S_Curry!
An extremely thought provoking #DarwinDayLecture! As humanists, we see morality as a natural and evolutionary phenomena – so it's always fascinating to hear about the research in the field of evolutionary biology and psychology.
With the shared moral principles in mind – found across the world in all people and in all cultures – we end tonight's report of the #DarwinDayLecture with these words:
Think for yourself, act for everyone!
Think for yourself, act for everyone!
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