Science Unlocks the Origins and Ways of a Moral Sense

“The Moral Instinct” by Steven Pinker, a feature article in the January 13, New York Times Magazine, offers a glimpse of insights evolutionary biology and neuroscience bring to religion. Pinker speaks of “the science of moral sense.”

Traditionalists will scoff at the notion that religion (at least the moral sense) can be scrutinized by good science. But in this relatively brief article Pinker deftly draws the ways and results of science looking at morality. For example, scientific researchers have identified five great moral themes: 1) do no harm to others, 2) fairness, 3) loyalty to a group, 4) deference to legitimate authority, and 5) purity.

Pinker argues that we respond to moral issues intuitively, by instinct. We then rationalize our responses.

In my estimation we are at frontier of understanding regarding religion and morality —how religion and morality relate to human nature. Using the metaphor of the computer we are hardwired in ways that have assured our evolution as a species.

These are exciting times for those who seek to comprehend religion’s workings. For the first time, thanks to evolutionary biology and neurosciences, we have facts.

Such a solid moral understanding can inspire moral progress. (What comes quickly to mind is Schweitzer’s “reverence for life” that progresses from the universal moral sense to do no harm.)

Incidentally, this general point of view dispels the notion that religion and science exist in two different realms. As a thorough naturalist I maintain that religion and science belong to one reality. Science is proving that it holds the key to understanding religion and morality. Religion must reconcile itself to this, while realizing that it has nothing to fear, but only adaptations to make.