#861 Léo Fitouchi: Moral Emotions, Punishment, and Puritanical Morality
RECORDED ON JULY 7th 2023.
Léo Fitouchi is a PhD candidate in evolutionary and cognitive social sciences at École Normale Supérieure in Paris (Department of Cognitive Science). He is part of the Evolution and Social Cognition team of the Institut Jean-Nicod. He is mostly interested in understanding how human social behavior and cultural traditions are shaped by evolved cognitive mechanisms and cultural evolutionary processes –– with a particular focus on moral intuitions, supernatural beliefs, and social norms and institutions.
In this episode, we talk about the evolution of human moral cognition and moral emotions. We start by discussing the role of emotions in moral cognition, and the distinction between social and moral emotions. We go through examples of moral emotions like indignation, guilt, shame, disgust, and empathy. We talk about the social role of institutionalized punishment, the rise of moralizing religions, and the functions of beliefs in supernatural punishment. We discuss the evolution of puritanical morality, and why people moralize harmless body pleasures. Finally, we talk about an evolutionary contractualist theory of morality.
Time Links:
Intro
The role of emotions in moral cognition
The distinction between social and moral emotions
Indignation and guilt
Shame
Is there moral disgust?
Empathy
The social role of institutionalized punishment
The rise of moralizing religions
The functions of supernatural punishment beliefs, and how they serve as explanations for misfortune
The evolution of puritanical morality, and why people moralize harmless body pleasures
An evolutionary contractualist theory of morality
Follow Léo’s work!
Follow Léo’s work:
University page: https://bit.ly/3L50we6
Website: https://bit.ly/3ZDM3dd
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3ZwL9PQ
Twitter handle: @LFitouchi