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==3: SEP 8==
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==11: OCT 6==
  
 
===Assigned===
 
===Assigned===
  
:*Hibbing, John R., Kevin Smith, and John R. Alford, ''Predisposed: Liberals, conservatives, and the biology of political difference'', Chapter 1, "Living with the Enemy". (32)
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:*Haidt, Chapter 5, "Beyond WEIRD Morality" (17)
:*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrvtOWEXDIQ PBS Aristotle and Virtue Theory: Crash Course Philosophy #38]
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:*Writing exercise: How WEIRD is Morality?  
:*Everyday Ethics Discussion and Short Writing Prompt #1.  Due at midnight tonight!
 
  
===In-class content===
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===Brief Survey on Student Engagement in Hybrid course delivery===
  
:*Discussion segment: Sharing ideas about first writing prompt on trust.
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:*Please take the following anonymous [https://gonzaga.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3I98g1ecsTe59ZP survey].
:*Lecture Segment: Philosophical Theories: Virtue Ethics
 
:*Lecture Segment: Some Preliminaries about Ethical theory and objectivity
 
  
===Everyday Ethics Discussion and Short Writing Prompt #1===
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===Final Stage of Sapolsky Writing Assignment===
  
:*Describe a situation in which you decided to trust someone and you were right (or wrong) to do so. What made you decide to trust the person? Try to identify specific behaviors. Alternately, describe things you would do if you were trying to get someone to trust you. What are the characteristic behaviors and statements of trust worthy people?
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:*'''Stage 4''': Back-evaluation: After you receive your peer comments and my evaluation, take a few minutes to fill out this quick "back evaluation" rating form: [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgKCYITDTSOOHcvC3TAVNK-EZDsP4jiiyPj-7jdpRoNUsLPA/viewform?usp=sf_link].  '''Fill out the form for each reviewer, but not Alfino.'''  Up to 10 points, in Points.
:*[https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSlw0I1mjv_pqqEBr4Eiw1lKGJ65gs6o-kbP3qG_PWEWk1-w/viewform?usp=sf_link Follow this link when you are ready to write.]  Due midnight tonight!
 
  
===Some Preliminaries about Ethical theory and objectivity===
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::*Back evaluations are due '''Thursday, October 8, 11:59pm'''.
  
:*A Framework for thinking about moral theories.
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===Some samples from Henrich's, "The Weirdest People on Earth"===
  
::*Where should we look for "moral goodness"?
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:*p. 25: "Who Am I?" task.  Show charts
::*Intentions (Kantian), Act (Aristotle), Consequences (Mill, Singer - utilitarian)
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:*p. 28: sociocentric vs. individualistic
 +
:*p. 34: guilt vs. shame
 +
:*p. 44: impersonal honesty research (recall Ariely)
  
:*The following is pretty standard, but was drawn from Peter Singer's classic, ''Practical Ethics'':
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===Haidt, Chapter 5, "Beyond WEIRD Morality"===
  
:*Singer's arguments against cultural relativism:
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====WEIRD Morality====
::*Cultural Relativism: Ethics varies by culture.  Singer: This is true and false, same act under different conditions may have different value, but this is '''superficial relativism'''.  For example, existence of birth control led to a general change in sexual ethics. The moral principle in question (don't have kids you're not ready to care for) might remain the same and be objective (don't have kids you're not ready to care for), but the prohibition on casual sex might change(Note: Polling data on advisability of living together prior to marriageSo cultural change itself doesn't tell you whether moral principles are changing.   
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:*WEIRD morality is the morality of Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic cultures
 +
::*just as likely to be bothered by taboo violations, but more likely to set aside feelings of disgust and allow violations
 +
::*only group with majority allowing chicken story violation.
 +
::*"the weirder you are the more likely you are to see the world in terms of separate objects, rather than relationships"  "sociocentric" moralities vs. individualistic moralities; Enlightenment moralities of Kant and Mill are rationalist, individualist, and universalist.   
 +
::*survey data on East/West differences in sentence completion: "I am..."
 +
::*framed-line task 97
 +
:*Kantian and Millian ethical thought is rationalist, rule based, and universalistJust the ethical theory you would expect from the culture.   
  
::*Subjectivist Relativism Problems for '''real''' relativists ("wrong" means "I disapprove" or "my society disapproves"): but we do choose between societal values, how? Is the non-conformist just making a mistake?, polls could determine ethics?
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====A 3 channel moral matrix====
 +
:*Schweder's anthropology: ethics of autonomy, community, divinity 99-100 - gloss each...
 +
::*claims Schweder's theory predicts responses on taboo violation tests, is descriptively accurate.
 +
::*ethic of divinity: body as temple vs. playground
 +
::*vertical dimension to values.  explains reactions to flag desecration, piss Christ, thought exp: desecration of liberal icons.  (Note connection to contemporary conflicts, such as the Charlie Hebdot massacre.)
  
::*Problems for subjectivist: making sense of disagreement
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====Making Sense of Moral/Cultural Difference====
 +
:*'''Haidt's Bhubaneswar experience''': diverse (intense) continua of moral values related to purity. (opposite of disgust). Confusing at first, but notice that he started to like his hosts (elephant) and then started to think about how their values might work.  Stop and think about how a mind might create this.  Detail about airline passenger.
 +
:*Theorizing with Paul Rozin on the right model for thinking about moral foundations: "Our theory, in brief" (103)
 +
:*American politics often about sense of "sacrilege", not just about defining rights (autonomy).  Not just harm, but types of moral disgust.
 +
:*'''Stepping out of the Matrix''':  H's metaphor for seeing his own cultural moral values as more "contingent" than before, when it felt like the natural advocacy of what seem true and right.  Reports growing self awareness of liberal orientation of intellectual culture in relation to Shweder's view.  Social conservatives made more sense to him after studying in India.
  
:*Singer: Ok to say the values aren't objective like physics (aren't facts about the world), but not sensible to deny the meaningfulness of moral disagreement.  Ethical reasoning.
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===Small Group Discussion===
 
+
:*Discussion questions:
:*Are there minimum conditions for ethical theories?
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::*Does it make sense to talk about "stepping out of a matrix"? Is this a temporary thing?  What value might it have in your experience?
 
+
::*Do you have a parallel story to Haidt's?  (Mention travel experiences.)
::*The sorts of reasons that count as ethical: universalizable ones. Can't just appeal to one person or group's interest.  Note: most standard ethical theories satisfy this requirement, yet yield different analysis and advice.  We will look at the specific form of universalization in each theory we discuss.
 
 
 
===Philosophical Moral Theories: Virtue Ethics===
 
 
 
:*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrvtOWEXDIQ PBS Aristotle and Virtue Theory: Crash Course Philosophy #38]
 
 
 
:*concepts from video...
 
::*opening description of the virtuous person -- great judgement, sense of self, etc.
 
::*not as prescriptive (cf. utilitarian principle).  Good people do good things....
 
 
 
::*Virtue — general idea of being an excellent person.  Also, specific lists of virtues (vary by time and culture)
 
 
 
:*A bit of Aristotle’s theory of virtue and human nature:  fixed nature, species eternal, proper function (telos), distinctive aspect of function: being rational and political. 
 
 
 
::*Virtue is natural to us.  Like an acorn becoming a tree. Being virtuous is being the best of the kind of thing you are. A deep intuition supports this devleopmental approach, even if you don't believe in the eternality of the species!
 
 
 
::*Theory of the Golden Mean: Virtue as mean between extremes of emotion:  Ex. Courage (story), Honesty, Generosity.  Virtue as training of emotional response in relation to knowledge of circumstances and the good.  Example from video: Courage between cowardice and recklessness.  Generosity between extremes of stinginess and excessive magnanimity. 
 
 
 
::*How do you acquire virtue? Experience.  Practical Wisdom cultivated through habituation.  Follow a moral exemplar. Good parenting and shaping by healthy family.  It's a training program in becoming the best human you can be based on your "telos". 
 
 
 
::*What if we don’t want to become virtuous?  What is the motivation to virtue?  The pursuit of a happy life that “goes well”.  Eudaimonia.  Human flourishing.  Challenge and development of talents.  Should be attractive. Connection between virtue and happiness not guaranteed for Aristotle, but could be tighter in other versions.
 
 
 
:*Additional points:
 
 
 
::*centrality of virtues and practical wisdom.  Is practical wisdom real? Discussion opp.
 
::*historic variability and list of virtues. Curiosity was a vice in Medieval Europe.  Check out virtue lists on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue Virtue Wiki].
 
 
 
:*From Aristotle to Evolutionary theory.  Eternality of the species.  What if you drop this false belief?  Human excellence may have to do with meeting or exceeding the challenges posed by our environment.
 
 
 
===Hibbing, et. al. ''Predisposed'' Chapter 1===
 
 
 
:*'''Some opening examples of the persistence of partisanship'''
 
:*opening example: William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal -- meant as example of highly educated partisans who would be able to debate in a civilized way.  60's era political divisions often violent. 
 
:*also historical examples of highly partisan politics -- Hamilton & Adams, Hamilton & Burr (duelled).  Jefferson's dirty tricks. 
 
 
 
:*Goal of the Book:  to explain why people experience and interpret the political world so very differently. (6): list of difference that track political difference.  READ
 
 
 
:*'''A methodological concern'''
 
:*Does it makes sense to reduce political difference to "liberal" vs. "conservative".  They are in fact measuring lots of differences, but claim there is a tradition of recognizing this difference.  11: some terminological issues.  Ultimately, labels for clusters of real personality and behavioral differences. 
 
 
 
:*Think Probabalistically: not biological determinists, rather real persistent differences shape and mold our ideology.  Example: relation between conscientiousness and ideology 14.  A number of studies replicate a positive correlation bt conscientiousness and conservatism.  Lesson on 15: difference between representing data in categories vs. scatterplot.  Wilson-Patterson index of conservatism.  Brief lesson on correlation, 17.  Correlation for conscientiousness and conservatism small r = .2
 
 
 
:*'''What are predispositions?'''
 
:*Predispositions - some stimuli, like a pencil, are emotionally neutral.  Others not.  Leibniz speculated about "appetitions" Neurscientist Eagleman: brain running alot of its own programs. Ad hoc defenses (also in Haidt) called "baloney generator" by Pinker.  We may have an illusion of rationality and control.  examples of self-deception like this, p. 21, also top of 22 read. 
 
 
 
:*Responses to Political stimuli emotionally salient and not always conscious:  Lodge: "hot cognition" or "automaticity" 
 
 
 
:*23: clarifying argument: not nature / nurture. predispositions are difficult to change.  research on long term stability of pol. orientation.  180 degree turn is very unusual.  Technical def: "Predispositions, then, can be thought of as biologically and psychologically instantiated defaults that, absent new information or conscious overriding, govern response to given stimuli."
 
 
 
:*Our actual predispositions vary, but also the degree to which we have predispositions is variable across a group. (This is one reason researchers in the field sometimes focus on highly partisan test subjects.)  
 
 
 
:*25: some background on theorizing about political dispositions.  what is new today is better research, but also research connecting political variation with bio/cog variation.
 
 
 
:*27: resistance to this kind of theory in political science.  Philip Converse.  also, idea that politics is best understood in terms of history and culture
 

Latest revision as of 19:51, 6 October 2020

11: OCT 6

Assigned

  • Haidt, Chapter 5, "Beyond WEIRD Morality" (17)
  • Writing exercise: How WEIRD is Morality?

Brief Survey on Student Engagement in Hybrid course delivery

  • Please take the following anonymous survey.

Final Stage of Sapolsky Writing Assignment

  • Stage 4: Back-evaluation: After you receive your peer comments and my evaluation, take a few minutes to fill out this quick "back evaluation" rating form: [1]. Fill out the form for each reviewer, but not Alfino. Up to 10 points, in Points.
  • Back evaluations are due Thursday, October 8, 11:59pm.

Some samples from Henrich's, "The Weirdest People on Earth"

  • p. 25: "Who Am I?" task. Show charts
  • p. 28: sociocentric vs. individualistic
  • p. 34: guilt vs. shame
  • p. 44: impersonal honesty research (recall Ariely).

Haidt, Chapter 5, "Beyond WEIRD Morality"

WEIRD Morality

  • WEIRD morality is the morality of Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic cultures
  • just as likely to be bothered by taboo violations, but more likely to set aside feelings of disgust and allow violations
  • only group with majority allowing chicken story violation.
  • "the weirder you are the more likely you are to see the world in terms of separate objects, rather than relationships" "sociocentric" moralities vs. individualistic moralities; Enlightenment moralities of Kant and Mill are rationalist, individualist, and universalist.
  • survey data on East/West differences in sentence completion: "I am..."
  • framed-line task 97
  • Kantian and Millian ethical thought is rationalist, rule based, and universalist. Just the ethical theory you would expect from the culture.

A 3 channel moral matrix

  • Schweder's anthropology: ethics of autonomy, community, divinity 99-100 - gloss each...
  • claims Schweder's theory predicts responses on taboo violation tests, is descriptively accurate.
  • ethic of divinity: body as temple vs. playground
  • vertical dimension to values. explains reactions to flag desecration, piss Christ, thought exp: desecration of liberal icons. (Note connection to contemporary conflicts, such as the Charlie Hebdot massacre.)

Making Sense of Moral/Cultural Difference

  • Haidt's Bhubaneswar experience: diverse (intense) continua of moral values related to purity. (opposite of disgust). Confusing at first, but notice that he started to like his hosts (elephant) and then started to think about how their values might work. Stop and think about how a mind might create this. Detail about airline passenger.
  • Theorizing with Paul Rozin on the right model for thinking about moral foundations: "Our theory, in brief" (103)
  • American politics often about sense of "sacrilege", not just about defining rights (autonomy). Not just harm, but types of moral disgust.
  • Stepping out of the Matrix: H's metaphor for seeing his own cultural moral values as more "contingent" than before, when it felt like the natural advocacy of what seem true and right. Reports growing self awareness of liberal orientation of intellectual culture in relation to Shweder's view. Social conservatives made more sense to him after studying in India.

Small Group Discussion

  • Discussion questions:
  • Does it make sense to talk about "stepping out of a matrix"? Is this a temporary thing? What value might it have in your experience?
  • Do you have a parallel story to Haidt's? (Mention travel experiences.)