Abstract

Chapter 4 describes the early evolution of moral pluralism among humans in which emotions and norms tend to reinforce each other and neither one functions entirely independently of the other. Their interdependence runs contrary to dominant views in the history of moral philosophy. The five core clusters of moral norms are: harm, kinship, reciprocity, autonomy, and fairness. Norms of purity and authority evolved much later. No core norm is more basic than the others, though some are emphasized more than others in some cultures. The five core moral norm clusters, though not innate, are universal. They are distinct from conventional norms since they are motivated by moral emotions, take priority in cases of conflict, and are treated as objective. Since moral intuitions are joint products of moral emotions and moral norms, the familiar opposition between reason and emotion is a false dichotomy; moreover, contrary to a common view, moral intuitions are not inflexible.