The Science of Morality

Discovery

BBC

Science, Technology

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2012

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How fixed are our moral beliefs? Can these beliefs be reduced to neurochemistry?

While we may believe that our moral principles are rigid and based on rational motives, psychological and neuroscientific research is starting to demonstrate that this might not actually be the case.

In this edition of Discovery, Dr Carinne Piekema investigates how scientific studies are starting to shed light on how our social behaviour is affected by our environment and neurochemistry.

She discusses with Carol Dweck about how people's moral opinions can be modified through behavioural techniques, and with Molly Crockett and Paul Zak about how similar effects can be brought about by directly altering brain chemistry.

While this knowledge might have future benefits, the ability to alter people's behaviour and attitudes towards others also raises potential ethical issues.

In the final part, Carinne talks with neuroethicist Neil Levy who invites us to consider the philosophical questions raised by such advances.

Transcript

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0:35.4	Sounds.
0:36.4	Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know.
0:40.9	My name's Linda Davies and I commissioned
0:43.0	podcast for BBC Sounds.
0:45.0	As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality,
0:49.0	featuring the most knowledgeable experts and genuinely engaging voices.
0:54.4	What you may not know is that the BBC makes podcasts about all kinds of things like pop stars,
1:00.9	poltergeist, cricket and conspiracy theories, and that's just a few examples.
1:06.4	If you'd like to discover something a little bit unexpected, find your next podcast over
1:11.1	at BBC Sounds, Just before this BBC
1:13.5	podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. My name's Linda
1:17.8	Davies and I commission podcast for BBC Sounds. As you'd expect at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality
1:25.0	featuring the most knowledgeable experts and genuinely engaging voices.
1:30.0	What you may not know is that the BBC makes podcasts about all kinds of things
1:35.0	like pop stars, poltergeist, cricket and conspiracy theories and that's just a few examples.
1:42.0	If you'd like to discover something a little bit unexpected,
	...

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