Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman Ep134 "What do brains teach us about morality?" with Joshua Greene
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Dec 15, 2025 Joshua Greene, a Harvard psychologist and philosopher, dives into the intricacies of moral judgment. He explores why our instincts clash with modern dilemmas like pandemics and AI, shedding light on moral decision-making. Greene discusses how emotional impulses often override rational choices, using examples like trolley problems. He introduces 'moral technologies' designed to enhance charitable giving and discusses Tango, a game intended to reduce political polarization. This conversation reveals how understanding our moral brains can lead to more effective collective actions.
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Dual-Process Moral Mind
- Our moral brain runs on fast emotional instincts and slower deliberative reasoning that often conflict.
- This dual system evolved for small-group cooperation, not global problems like pandemics or climate change.
Why Trolley Problems Feel Different
- People judge the trolley switch and footbridge differently because of personal force and intended harm.
- Directly using someone as a means triggers stronger emotional rejection than indirect harm.
Phineas Gage, Psychopaths, And Monks
- Patients with ventromedial frontal damage approve pushing the footbridge victim more often.
- Buddhist monks also often approve, showing similar outcomes can arise from different mental processes.
