Giving ‘good’ a rigorous inspection
Imagine a green forest that separates two tribes of shepherds, each with distinctive beliefs and moral codes. One hot, dry summer, the forest burns down, and after the rains come, a lush new pasture grows between the tribal lands. Do they share — or fight? “This is the problem of modern morality,” said psychologist Joshua Greene. “It’s not good versus evil. It’s not about me versus us. It’s about us versus them. It’s about how different groups are going to cooperate, and how they’re going to get along in the new pasture of the modern world.” Morality helps societies deal with the tension between self-interest and the common good, which is the fundamental problem of social existence, Greene said in a conversation with fellow Harvard scholar Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology, and Princeton philosopher Peter Singer at Spangler Auditorium. The panel was part of an Oct. 21 symposium sponsored by the...