What will I learn about: Human evolution wired us to cooperate within our own tribes, but this same wiring creates the 'tragedy of commonsense morality' where different groups clash over incompatible moral values?

Human evolution wired us to cooperate within our own tribes, but this same wiring creates the 'tragedy of commonsense morality' where different groups clash over incompatible moral values.

What will I learn about: Our moral thinking operates in two distinct modes: an 'automatic' setting driven by immediate emotion and intuition, and a 'manual' setting that uses deliberate reasoning to evaluate long-term consequences?

Our moral thinking operates in two distinct modes: an 'automatic' setting driven by immediate emotion and intuition, and a 'manual' setting that uses deliberate reasoning to evaluate long-term consequences.

What will I learn about: While utilitarianism provides a pragmatic framework for maximizing overall societal happiness, it must be carefully balanced to avoid dismissing the inalienable rights of individuals?

While utilitarianism provides a pragmatic framework for maximizing overall societal happiness, it must be carefully balanced to avoid dismissing the inalienable rights of individuals.

What will I learn about: Human empathy is heavily biased by physical distance and personal connection, leading us to prioritize immediate, visible tragedies over much larger, distant crises?

Human empathy is heavily biased by physical distance and personal connection, leading us to prioritize immediate, visible tragedies over much larger, distant crises.

What will I learn about: Highly contentious debates can be better navigated by shifting away from rigid arguments about abstract rights and duties toward a pragmatic evaluation of real-world societal outcomes?

Highly contentious debates can be better navigated by shifting away from rigid arguments about abstract rights and duties toward a pragmatic evaluation of real-world societal outcomes.

Moral Tribes

Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them

Joshua Greene

★ 4.1 / 5(175 ratings)

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Categories:

Society & Culture

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Why are you significantly more likely to choose a slice of chocolate cake over healthy fruit when your brain is busy processing complex information?
💡Why do people eagerly donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to save a single child trapped in a well, yet ignore the suffering of thousands in distant countries?
💡How does our evolutionary wiring trap us in the 'tragedy of commonsense morality,' causing well-intentioned groups to clash violently over conflicting values?

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Key Takeaways from Moral Tribes

✓Human evolution wired us to cooperate within our own tribes, but this same wiring creates the 'tragedy of commonsense morality' where different groups clash over incompatible moral values.
✓Our moral thinking operates in two distinct modes: an 'automatic' setting driven by immediate emotion and intuition, and a 'manual' setting that uses deliberate reasoning to evaluate long-term consequences.
✓While utilitarianism provides a pragmatic framework for maximizing overall societal happiness, it must be carefully balanced to avoid dismissing the inalienable rights of individuals.
✓Human empathy is heavily biased by physical distance and personal connection, leading us to prioritize immediate, visible tragedies over much larger, distant crises.
✓Highly contentious debates can be better navigated by shifting away from rigid arguments about abstract rights and duties toward a pragmatic evaluation of real-world societal outcomes.

Learning Tools

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Moral Tribes

Evolutionary Morality & Conflict+

Cooperation Dynamics+

Utilitarianism & Its Limits+

Dual-Process Moral Thinking+

The Empathy Gap+

Pragmatic Moral Reasoning+

Actionable Advice+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7

According to the text, what distinguishes the 'tragedy of the commons' from the 'tragedy of commonsense morality'?

A. The tragedy of the commons involves 'Me Versus Us,' while the tragedy of commonsense morality involves 'Us Versus Them.'
B. The tragedy of the commons deals with religious conflicts, while commonsense morality deals with resource scarcity.
C. The tragedy of the commons is a modern phenomenon, whereas commonsense morality is an evolutionary trait.
D. The tragedy of the commons focuses on short-term gains, while commonsense morality focuses on long-term societal benefits.

Question 2 of 7

In the context of the prisoner’s dilemma, what is the most likely outcome if two strangers who do not care about each other are interrogated?

A. They will both stay quiet and receive the minimum sentence of two years.
B. They will both confess, resulting in an eight-year sentence for each.
C. One will confess and the other will stay quiet, resulting in a ten-year sentence for one.
D. They will refuse to participate in the interrogation to avoid self-incrimination.

Question 3 of 7

What major flaw of utilitarianism does the text highlight using the example of a society with an enslaved minority?

A. It fails to account for the long-term economic instability caused by inequality.
B. It relies too heavily on emotional intuition rather than rational calculation.
C. It fundamentally undervalues individual and inalienable rights in favor of overall majority happiness.
D. It assumes that human beings are inherently selfish and incapable of true altruism.

Question 4 of 7

In the experiment conducted by Baba Shiv and Alexander Fedorikhin, why were participants who memorized a seven-digit number more likely to choose chocolate cake over fruit?

A. Memorizing long numbers burns more calories, increasing the body's physical craving for sugar.
B. The high cognitive load occupied their 'manual' reasoning mode, leaving them to rely on their emotion-driven 'automatic' mode.
C. The participants felt they deserved a reward for successfully completing a more difficult cognitive task.
D. Their 'manual' mode calculated that the short-term energy boost from the cake would help them remember the numbers better.

Question 5 of 7

According to the text, what primarily determines the strength of our empathy and our compulsion to help others in need?

A. The total number of people affected by a disaster or tragedy.
B. The financial cost required to provide meaningful assistance.
C. Physical distance and the feeling of a personal connection to the victim.
D. The level of media coverage and political debate surrounding the event.

Question 6 of 7

How does the text suggest a utilitarian or pragmatic approach could alter the debate on abortion?

A. By shifting the focus away from when life begins to the overall societal impact and happiness of banning or allowing abortions.
B. By definitively proving exactly when a fetus develops basic consciousness and the ability to feel pain.
C. By establishing a strict legal framework based on the fundamental duties of a parent to protect all potential life.
D. By prioritizing women's constitutional rights over the religious beliefs of pro-life advocates.

Question 7 of 7

What actionable advice does the author provide for individuals engaging in complex, controversial moral debates?

A. Always rely on your initial emotional intuition, as it represents your truest moral compass.
B. Force yourself to justify why you disagree with a policy to expose and accept your own potential ignorance.
C. Focus exclusively on the evolutionary origins of the opposing group's arguments to dismantle them.
D. Avoid discussing topics like global warming or healthcare unless you have a formal education in those fields.

Moral Tribes — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — Cooperation between groups is often weakened by self-interest or a group’s own moral code.
32 — The prisoner’s dilemma offers insight into how moral principles work.
43 — Utilitarianism sees everyone’s happiness as equally important, but can undervalue individual rights.
54 — Moral thinking has two modes: automatic and manual.
65 — Whom we help depends on how personal our connection feels.
76 — Beliefs and values are often defended through rights and duties, but pragmatism can reveal more.
87 — Final summary

Moral Tribes Summary & Overview

Moral Tribes (2013) shows how humans have learned to make moral decisions. Humans once lived as close-knit tribes but have now formed more complex societies. We debate everything from abortion laws to global warming and wonder if we’ll ever agree on solutions. These blinks show us how best to make moral decisions that will benefit everyone.

Who Should Listen to Moral Tribes?

Generations of the same family sick of arguing about the same things
Community leaders searching for decision-making guidance
Rationalists who want to break out of their logic and keep their friends and family happy

About the Author: Joshua Greene

Joshua Greene studied philosophy at Harvard and Princeton universities and has since worked as a neuroscientist, psychologist and philosopher. His research has been featured in the New York Times. He is currently a professor of psychology at Harvard University.

Moral Tribes

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Moral Tribes — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Moral Tribes

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Moral Tribes — Full Chapter Overview

Moral Tribes Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Moral Tribes?

About the Author: Joshua Greene

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