The Brights' Net

På grund av att moral är förvärvad genom evolutionen, förekommer den i alla samhällen och kulturer.

Eftersom de förekommer i alla mänskliga kulturer utan några kända undantag, är moraliska universalia som de som visas här med största sannolikhet psykologiska fenomen härstammande från evolutionen (Brown, 1991).

Antropologen Donald E. Brown väntade sig inte att than skulle upptäcka den moraliska enigheten hos mänskligheten. Men det gjorde han.

Vetenskapsmannen letade efter beteendemässiga eller kognitiva egenskaper som var gemensamma för alla neurologiskt normala människor, oavsett vilken kultur de tillhörde. Hans idé var att göra upp en lista på ”mänskliga universalia” i alla samhällen.

Hans projekt blottlade ett antal oföränderliga etiska mönster som fanns i varenda samhälle.

Tros- och tankesystem på alla kontinenter var brokiga och skiftande. Trots det, vartenda ett förbjöd vissa handlingar. Våldtäkt? – förbjudet. Mord? – förbjudet i alla.

Andra gemensamma drag identifierades. Empati, till exempel. Samarbete. Skam. Begreppet rättvisa. Och så vidare. Från utvecklade västerländska demokratier till isolerade inhemska samhällen – “moraliska universalia”.

Decennier av tvärkulturell forskning har visat att inget samhälle har monopol på gott beteende. Moraliskt mänskligt handlande beror inte på den religion eller gudom man föredrar, vilket pekar på dess evolutionära rötter.

Det finns nu en stor mängd forskning från hela världen om moral tvärs över kulturer, en del av den bygger på de moraliska universalia som Brown upptäckte. Socialvetaren Ara Norenzayan summerar: “… Religionens anknytning till moralen varierar i kulturerna; denna länk är svag eller frånvarande i småskaliga grupper, och blir fast i formen efterhand som gruppstorlek och samhällelig komplexitet ökar över tid och mellan samhällen.

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