Inquiring Minds

Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground with Kurt Gray

Jan 21, 2025

Kurt Gray, a professor at UNC Chapel Hill and director of the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding, explores the psychological roots of moral outrage. He discusses how differing perceptions of harm drive societal divisions and the impact of emotions like fear and disgust on moral judgments. Gray debunks the apex predator myth, revealing our cooperative evolutionary history. Highlighting the role of social media in amplifying outrage, he emphasizes the need for empathy and genuine listening to bridge divides and foster understanding in contentious discussions.

48:04

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Episode guests

Kurt Gray

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Quick takeaways

The perception of harm significantly shapes moral judgments, leading to fierce disagreements over differing views on morality and vulnerability.

Bridging moral divides is achievable through empathy and active listening, which fosters genuine understanding over mere presentation of facts.

Deep dives

The Intersection of Morality and Science

Morality is a complex aspect of human behavior that significantly influences social dynamics and political decisions. By focusing on observable moral behavior rather than subjective moral values, it is possible to understand how individuals process moral dilemmas. This shift from discussing what is right or wrong to examining the behaviors that reflect moral judgments can illuminate the roots of societal outrage and division. Engaging with moral psychology allows for a better grasp of how people assign value to actions, thereby framing the basis for moral conversations in a polarized society.

Intro

2min

The Science of Morality and Division

17min

Debunking the Apex Predator Myth

5min

The Complexity of Moral Reasoning

8min

The Role of Social Media in Amplifying Outrage and Moral Panics

4min

Bridging Moral Divides

9min

Finding Hope in Bridging Moral Divides

4min

In this episode of Inquiring Minds, host Indre Viskontas speaks with Kurt Gray, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding.

Gray’s groundbreaking new book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality in Politics and How to Find Common Ground, delves into the psychological roots of moral outrage and the societal divisions it fuels. Through scientific insights and engaging anecdotes, Gray explains how our deeply ingrained perceptions of harm shape our moral convictions and why bridging moral divides is both critical and possible.

They discuss:

The psychological basis of moral outrage and why it’s driven by differing perceptions of harm.
How disgust and fear influence our moral judgments and why facts alone rarely resolve disagreements.
The role of social media in amplifying moral panics and polarizing society.
Why shared stories and genuine listening are more effective than statistics in fostering understanding.

Gray also explores myths about morality, including the false belief that humans evolved as apex predators, and provides evidence for how our evolutionary history as prey shaped the cooperative moral frameworks we rely on today. Despite the challenges of polarization, Gray offers hope for bridging divides through empathy, understanding, and open dialogue.

Listen in to gain a deeper understanding of how morality drives human behavior, divides societies, and offers pathways for reconciliation.

Outraged is available now at booksellers everywhere.

Links:

Get Kurt’s new Book “Outrage” on Amazon

and visit his website: kurtjgray.com

And connect with Kurt on X and Linkedin

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