Episode
#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
1:19:39
Published: Sat Jan 07 2023
Description
Dr Victor Kumar is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Boston University, part of the Mind & Morality Lab's Moral Psychology Research Group and an author. Morality might seem like something that exists independently of humans. Things are either good or bad, the current evolutionary state humans in in should not impact this judgement. Yet it seems that culture and evolution heavily influenced each other, and they influenced morality too. Expect to learn why Asian people get red faces when they drink alcohol, which moral emotions can be detected in chimpanzees, why sympathy can be seen as investment advice, how come some people can consume milk and others can't, whether moral grandstanding and performative empathy on Twitter can be explained by evolution, the reason for altruism existing and much more... Sponsors: Get 83% discount & 3 months free from Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/MODERNWISDOM (use code MODERNWISDOM) Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and more from Athletic Greens at https://athleticgreens.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Get 20% discount on House Of Macadamias’ nuts at https://houseofmacadamias.com/modernwisdom (use code MW20) Extra Stuff: Buy A Better Ape - https://amzn.to/3WZM4qO Check out Victor's website - http://www.victorkumar.org/ Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/
Chapters
The podcast talks about the benefits of adaptogens, which respond to influences like stress and can help in supporting durable sleep quality and lowering everyday physical and mental fatigue.
00:00 - 04:05 (04:05)
Summary
The podcast talks about the benefits of adaptogens, which respond to influences like stress and can help in supporting durable sleep quality and lowering everyday physical and mental fatigue.
Episode#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The practice of raising goats and cows for milk has influenced the evolution of our genes to produce enzymes that allow us to consume dairy products without dehydration.
04:05 - 11:20 (07:15)
Summary
The practice of raising goats and cows for milk has influenced the evolution of our genes to produce enzymes that allow us to consume dairy products without dehydration. Understanding morality is like understanding the co-evolution between culture and genes.
Episode#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast discusses how morality is shaped by gene-culture coevolution and how human beings are social learners.
11:20 - 17:10 (05:49)
Summary
This podcast discusses how morality is shaped by gene-culture coevolution and how human beings are social learners. It also delves into whether different cultural conditions can change the morality in terms of genetic inheritance.
Episode#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast explores the components that make up an evolved biocultural morality, highlighting moral emotions, norms, and reasoning.
17:10 - 26:00 (08:49)
Summary
This podcast explores the components that make up an evolved biocultural morality, highlighting moral emotions, norms, and reasoning. It also discusses the role that social groups and circumstances have in shaping and influencing an individual's moral behavior.
Episode#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast explores how similar parts of the brain are activated when people experience disgust towards rotten food versus towards dishonest or exploitative people, as well as discussing some arguments made by philosophers about emotions such as anger or disgust being inherently bad.
26:00 - 37:22 (11:21)
Summary
This podcast explores how similar parts of the brain are activated when people experience disgust towards rotten food versus towards dishonest or exploitative people, as well as discussing some arguments made by philosophers about emotions such as anger or disgust being inherently bad.
Episode#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
PodcastModern Wisdom
Evidence from genetic archaeological studies help trace forms of cooperation that require more equality between primates compared to those which chimpanzees engage in.
37:22 - 46:23 (09:01)
Summary
Evidence from genetic archaeological studies help trace forms of cooperation that require more equality between primates compared to those which chimpanzees engage in. Honor cultures require people to get angry when threatened or insulted, whereas failing to perform group tasks, being lazy, and immoral behavior is considered the most status decreasing criterion.
Episode#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The podcast discusses the role of autonomy norms, which emphasize being free from interference and domination by others, in enforcing societal norms such as harm norms.
46:23 - 55:16 (08:52)
Summary
The podcast discusses the role of autonomy norms, which emphasize being free from interference and domination by others, in enforcing societal norms such as harm norms. The hosts also touch on how moral grandstanding, scapegoating, and performative empathy fit into this framework.
Episode#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
PodcastModern Wisdom
Religious institutions have played an instrumental role in expanding our moral circles beyond our immediate tribe, enabling cooperation on a larger scale and fostering the cultural evolution of morality.
55:16 - 1:02:50 (07:33)
Summary
Religious institutions have played an instrumental role in expanding our moral circles beyond our immediate tribe, enabling cooperation on a larger scale and fostering the cultural evolution of morality. The significance lies in the fact that religion has historically facilitated the coordination of larger groups of people, which has paved the way for human advancements such as farming, and it continues to shape our moral mind today.
Episode#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The best hope for finding objective morality is to think about how progressive changes happened in the past and the psychological and cultural mechanisms behind them to bring about future positive changes while preserving the expansion of liberty and freedom for all genders to occupy any social or economic roles.
1:02:50 - 1:18:25 (15:35)
Summary
The best hope for finding objective morality is to think about how progressive changes happened in the past and the psychological and cultural mechanisms behind them to bring about future positive changes while preserving the expansion of liberty and freedom for all genders to occupy any social or economic roles.
Episode#573 - Dr Victor Kumar - How Did Human Morality Evolve?
PodcastModern Wisdom
In this episode, the interviewee recommends his new book and website to keep up with his latest work.
1:18:25 - 1:19:37 (01:11)
Summary
In this episode, the interviewee recommends his new book and website to keep up with his latest work. The conversation ends with the podcast host promoting upcoming episodes and various products, including Surfshark VPN, Athletic Greens, and House of Macadamia's Nuts.