"RELIGION IS WIDELY seen as offering people amoral compass, a powerful guide to judgment and behavior. But what if you believe in something besides religion? Could a faith in science similarly guide your values?Ma-Kellams, C. & Blascovich, J., “Does ‘Science’ Make You Moral? The Effects of Priming Science on Moral Judgments and Behavior,” PLoS ONE (March 2013).
"The answer appears to be yes: In a new study, psychologists found that people who were studying science, believed in science, or were exposed to scientific words were harsher in condemning a crime and were more generous to others compared to people who weren’t engaged with science.
"The authors of the study suggest 'there is a lay image or notion of ‘science’ that is associated with concepts of rationality, impartiality, fairness, technological progress, and ultimately, the idea that we are to use these rational tools for the mutual benefit of all people in society.'"
http://epaper.bostonglobe.com/epaper/showlink.aspx?bookmarkid=D8QAW441O6B&issue=10182013033100000000001001&article=8b5a2ed1-b771-46fc-950d-89979d9c3f7c
Great to have some evidence that values are not necessarily correlated with-- much less caused by-- faith. Our society conflates those two things far too often, and it's damaging. Thanks, Fred.
ReplyDelete"RELIGION IS WIDELY seen as offering people amoral compass..." Was this statement intentional or simply a fortuitous typo?
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