Monday, October 31, 2005
Perceptions of Good and Evil-- II
Human Universals
A far more penetrating analysis of the human traits that are the likely basis of our moral codes was conducted by anthropologist Donald E. Brown (Human Universals), and by Michael Shermer (The Science of Good and Evil).
Of the 373 human universals identified by Brown, a total of 202 were selected by Shermer as being directly related to religious and moral behavior. It would be too laborious to list here all 202 of these universals, so the following sampling of them is meant to be representative of the whole, and to have some correspondence with the earlier listing above of “the good and moral.” Notes in parentheses are from Michael Shermer's book, The Science of Good and Evil:
Age status (vital element in social status)
Anthropomorphization (sic) (attribution of human traits to God)
Anticipation (assessing future consequences of actions)
Attachment (bonding, pro-social behavior)
Belief in Supernatural/Religion (basis of the codification of morality)
Beliefs about death (basis for belief in an afterlife)
Classification of behavioral trends ( basis of judging moral traits)
Coalitions (foundation for group and social morality)
Conflict (foundation of much moral behavior)
Conjectural reasoning (necessary for moral judgment)
Decision-making (foundation for moral judgment and resolution)
Distinguishing right from wrong (foundation for all moral judgment and ethical systems)
Economic inequalities ( status and hierarchy disputes)
Emotions (necessary for moral sense)
Empathy (necessary for moral sense)
Envy (moral trait)
Facial expressions (communication of moral judgments)
Fairness (foundation of social/moral justice)
Family (the most basic moral unit)
Fear of death (foundation for many religions)
Fears (generates much moral behaviors)
Figurative Speech (necessary for moral reasoning)
Future predictions (necessary for moral judgment)
Good and Bad distinguished (necessary for moral judgment)
Hope (higher moral reasoning)
Identity, collective (necessary for group moral relations)
Imagery (necessary for symbolic moral reasoning and judgment)
Institutions (organized co-activities/religions)
Intention (part of moral reasoning and judgment)
Judging others (foundation for moral approval/disapproval)
Kin (foundation of kin selection and basic moral groups)
Language (communication of moral approval/disapproval; symbolic moral reasoning)
Law (foundation of social harmony)
Likes and Dislikes (foundation of moral judgment)
Logical notions ( basis for expression of symbolic moral reasoning)
Magic (religion and superstitious behavior)
Male and Female roles and behavior ( differences in moral behavior)
Marriage (moral rules of foundatio0nal relationship)
Moral sentiments (the foundation of all moral morality)
Past, Present and Future (necessary for symbolic moral reasoning)
Person, concept of (foundation for moral judgment)
Property (foundation of moral reasoning and judgment)
Reciprocity (positive or negative reenforcement of altruism)
Redress of wrongs (moral conflict resolution)
Sanctions (social moral control)
Self-image (awareness of what others think. Foundation for moral reasoning)
Sex and Sexuality (foundation of major moral relations and tensions)
Socialization (foundation of morality in humans)
Statuses and roles (foundation of morality in humans)
Succession (foundation of social hierarchy)
Symbolic Speech (foundation of moral reasoning and communication)
Symbolism (foundation of moral reasoning)
Taboos (moral and social control)
Time sense (religion, moral reasoning)
True and False (necessary for moral assessment and judgment)
Weapons and forms of Violence (conflict resolution and control)
World view (foundation of all religion and morality)
Oh, what a complex web we weave! So, one might test one's moral code against such a list to see whether it goes with the grain or counter to it. Better yet, one might try to construct a personal code that accounts for the impact on each of these Universals! Especially if one uses the main list of 373 universals! Truly a nightmare semantic network, but of what use are these human universal building blocks if they cannot be employed to analyze the moral dilemmas or moral questions that humans find themselves ensnared in? Parenthetically, it is somewhat amazing that a list of only 373 Universals can be reasonably complete in describing human traits and concepts.
Perhaps this very complexity accounts for the proven need to teach and re- enforce the teaching of morals and ethics of our society throughout one's lifetime. The weaker the programs of teaching morals in homes, family, schools and churches, the less likely the students and adults are to grasp the full import of the moral lessons they are being exposed to, and hence, the less likely they are to make these morals their own. Then too, for adults it is difficult to see where they will be exposed to the full panoply of morality, moral reasoning, and moral judgment short of a strong religious affiliation, university courses in morality, or at least a thorough self-education program.
(to be continued)
Human Universals
A far more penetrating analysis of the human traits that are the likely basis of our moral codes was conducted by anthropologist Donald E. Brown (Human Universals), and by Michael Shermer (The Science of Good and Evil).
Of the 373 human universals identified by Brown, a total of 202 were selected by Shermer as being directly related to religious and moral behavior. It would be too laborious to list here all 202 of these universals, so the following sampling of them is meant to be representative of the whole, and to have some correspondence with the earlier listing above of “the good and moral.” Notes in parentheses are from Michael Shermer's book, The Science of Good and Evil:
Age status (vital element in social status)
Anthropomorphization (sic) (attribution of human traits to God)
Anticipation (assessing future consequences of actions)
Attachment (bonding, pro-social behavior)
Belief in Supernatural/Religion (basis of the codification of morality)
Beliefs about death (basis for belief in an afterlife)
Classification of behavioral trends ( basis of judging moral traits)
Coalitions (foundation for group and social morality)
Conflict (foundation of much moral behavior)
Conjectural reasoning (necessary for moral judgment)
Decision-making (foundation for moral judgment and resolution)
Distinguishing right from wrong (foundation for all moral judgment and ethical systems)
Economic inequalities ( status and hierarchy disputes)
Emotions (necessary for moral sense)
Empathy (necessary for moral sense)
Envy (moral trait)
Facial expressions (communication of moral judgments)
Fairness (foundation of social/moral justice)
Family (the most basic moral unit)
Fear of death (foundation for many religions)
Fears (generates much moral behaviors)
Figurative Speech (necessary for moral reasoning)
Future predictions (necessary for moral judgment)
Good and Bad distinguished (necessary for moral judgment)
Hope (higher moral reasoning)
Identity, collective (necessary for group moral relations)
Imagery (necessary for symbolic moral reasoning and judgment)
Institutions (organized co-activities/religions)
Intention (part of moral reasoning and judgment)
Judging others (foundation for moral approval/disapproval)
Kin (foundation of kin selection and basic moral groups)
Language (communication of moral approval/disapproval; symbolic moral reasoning)
Law (foundation of social harmony)
Likes and Dislikes (foundation of moral judgment)
Logical notions ( basis for expression of symbolic moral reasoning)
Magic (religion and superstitious behavior)
Male and Female roles and behavior ( differences in moral behavior)
Marriage (moral rules of foundatio0nal relationship)
Moral sentiments (the foundation of all moral morality)
Past, Present and Future (necessary for symbolic moral reasoning)
Person, concept of (foundation for moral judgment)
Property (foundation of moral reasoning and judgment)
Reciprocity (positive or negative reenforcement of altruism)
Redress of wrongs (moral conflict resolution)
Sanctions (social moral control)
Self-image (awareness of what others think. Foundation for moral reasoning)
Sex and Sexuality (foundation of major moral relations and tensions)
Socialization (foundation of morality in humans)
Statuses and roles (foundation of morality in humans)
Succession (foundation of social hierarchy)
Symbolic Speech (foundation of moral reasoning and communication)
Symbolism (foundation of moral reasoning)
Taboos (moral and social control)
Time sense (religion, moral reasoning)
True and False (necessary for moral assessment and judgment)
Weapons and forms of Violence (conflict resolution and control)
World view (foundation of all religion and morality)
Oh, what a complex web we weave! So, one might test one's moral code against such a list to see whether it goes with the grain or counter to it. Better yet, one might try to construct a personal code that accounts for the impact on each of these Universals! Especially if one uses the main list of 373 universals! Truly a nightmare semantic network, but of what use are these human universal building blocks if they cannot be employed to analyze the moral dilemmas or moral questions that humans find themselves ensnared in? Parenthetically, it is somewhat amazing that a list of only 373 Universals can be reasonably complete in describing human traits and concepts.
Perhaps this very complexity accounts for the proven need to teach and re- enforce the teaching of morals and ethics of our society throughout one's lifetime. The weaker the programs of teaching morals in homes, family, schools and churches, the less likely the students and adults are to grasp the full import of the moral lessons they are being exposed to, and hence, the less likely they are to make these morals their own. Then too, for adults it is difficult to see where they will be exposed to the full panoply of morality, moral reasoning, and moral judgment short of a strong religious affiliation, university courses in morality, or at least a thorough self-education program.
(to be continued)
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