Thursday, May 29, 2008, 8:15 PM - 9:45 PM,
Science is investigating the biological roots of empathy, altruism and cooperation to discover whether we possess an innate moral grammar, much like language, or whether morality arises from the interactions among biological and social systems.
In this presentation at the 92nd Street Y, philosophers Patricia Churchland and Daniel Dennett, neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, and evolutionary biologist Marc Hauser discussed the science of right and wrong, and explored how our scientific understanding of morality may affect society, from shaping justice systems to deciding whether to engage in wars or to assist others in economic and humanitarian struggles. The event was moderated by author and journalist Jon Meacham.
Image © Andrey Novikov | Dreamstime.com
Participants
Neuroethicist Patricia Churchland explores the complex philosophical and ethical impact that the rapidly expanding field of neuroscience has on society. She is the President's Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego, and an adjunct professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla.
Antonio Damasio is a leading neuroscientist and neurologist. He is the David Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California, and also an adjunct professor at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California. Damasio has made seminal contributions to the understanding of how the brain processes memory, language, emotions, and decisions and has described his discoveries in best selling books (Descartes’ Error, The Feeling of What Happens, and Looking for Spinoza) translated into over 30 languages and taught in universities worldwide. read more
Daniel Dennett is a philosopher who studies mind and consciousness through the lens of evolutionary biology and cognitive science. Author of several bestselling books including Darwin’s Dangerous Idea and Consciousness Explained, he is the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. read more
Marc Hauser is an evolutionary biologist and psychologist, and the author of Moral Minds: How Nature Designed Our Universal Sense of Right and Wrong. He is the director of the Cognitive Evolution Laboratory and the co-director of the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Program, both at Harvard University.
Jon Meacham is the managing editor of Newsweek magazine, a bestselling author, and a commentator on politics, history, and faith in America. His books include Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship and American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation. read more
