WHAT MAKES US MORAL
11/29/13
What make us moral summary.docx
Austin Mitchell
Language Arts ‐ Per 2
10% Summary
"What make us moral"
The Time magazine article "What Makes us Moral" by Jeffrey Kluger is about how the human species acquires the trait we call "morality". In the first part of the article the author discusses the specific reasons which scientists believe are the fundamental reasons that we are moral. These reasons include reciprocal altruism (aka empathy), "oughts" (rules that the group must follow and the community enforces them), and the fear of being shunned. The principal of reciprocal altruism can be basically described as "a favor done today, brings a return favor tomorrow". This principal has been observed not only in humans but also in apes. The author believes that morality is important because it is the only thing that separates us from other animals. In last part of the article the author discusses why we do things that are morally considered wrong and one reason is that sometimes we can't help it, such as when someone is clinically insane. Another reason is that sometimes the individual did not know what he did was considered morally unacceptable in the group he is in. In some people there is actually a physical problem with the brain that causes behavioral changes. The last reason is alienation. a person is alienated from the group, it may become acceptable to act unmorally towards that person since they become "less than human". A good example is the treatment of the Jews in
Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler alienated the Jews from the German people and convinced them that they were unworthy to be called humans and should be eliminated. The author says "None of this research may make us behave better, not right away at least. But all of it can help us understand ourselves ‐ a
What make us moral summary.docx
Austin Mitchell
Language Arts ‐ Per 2
10% Summary
"What make us moral"
The Time magazine article "What Makes us Moral" by Jeffrey Kluger is about how the human species acquires the trait we call "morality". In the first part of the article the author discusses the specific reasons which scientists believe are the fundamental reasons that we are moral. These reasons include reciprocal altruism (aka empathy), "oughts" (rules that the group must follow and the community enforces them), and the fear of being shunned. The principal of reciprocal altruism can be basically described as "a favor done today, brings a return favor tomorrow". This principal has been observed not only in humans but also in apes. The author believes that morality is important because it is the only thing that separates us from other animals. In last part of the article the author discusses why we do things that are morally considered wrong and one reason is that sometimes we can't help it, such as when someone is clinically insane. Another reason is that sometimes the individual did not know what he did was considered morally unacceptable in the group he is in. In some people there is actually a physical problem with the brain that causes behavioral changes. The last reason is alienation. a person is alienated from the group, it may become acceptable to act unmorally towards that person since they become "less than human". A good example is the treatment of the Jews in
Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler alienated the Jews from the German people and convinced them that they were unworthy to be called humans and should be eliminated. The author says "None of this research may make us behave better, not right away at least. But all of it can help us understand ourselves ‐ a