RE: Psychology Addict # 49 | Where do Human’s Moral Convictions Come From? - A Psychological Overview
Welcome back. It's been a long time. That's was an interesting and very well put together article. Well done.
I personally lean more so towards the learned social behavior side of things. It makes me think of the experiments conducted by the behavioral psychologist Albert Banduras (i.e. Bobo the clown experiments). Children who watched an adult beat up the clown mimicked the behavior. It does make sense to me intuitively though that there would be an innate aspect to this as well. Humans have evolved to be a social species so it makes sense that they would have built in cooperative mechanisms. It's interesting how Ape studies typically involve chimpanzee but rarely ever Bonobos. My understanding is that bonobos are much more cooperative and altruistic then their chimp counterparts and that they often engage in sharing and equality based practices.
Anyway, great article as always. Glad to have you back!
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@leaky20, I only learnt last year that bonobos are as much like us genetically as are chimpazees. I have become increasingly interested in them ever since. Particularly after learning, just as you mentioned, that they are much, much more peaceful than those crazy, selfish chimps :) . If I am not mistaken their societies are also matriarchal (don't quote me on this, though!)
Badura's Bobo Doll study is a very relevant one in the context of this discussion! The question I feel compelled to raise here is : would those children copy the violent behavior towards a living being? The bobo doll elicits no compassionate feelings. Schopenhauer stated that compassion is at the basis of morality. I agree with it :) Anyhow, I suppose we will never know. Such experiment will never be conducted 😛
It is so great to hear from you @leaky20. Thank you very much for taking the time to read and leave me this wonderful, insightful comment. I trust you and your wife are both doing great. I wish you both a peaceful, happy summer!
All the best,
Abigail
That's a good question to consider. I do not have an answer but it's certainly a good point.
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😊