First Friday Discussion - Morality and Meta-Ethics

I encourage everyone to bring food/drink to share. We'll socialize until about 8:30. The plan is to meet outside.

### The Dark Side of Moral Progress: Are We Just Finding New People to Hate?

• The Idea: As society evolves and becomes more socially conscious, older prejudices are rightfully condemned. However, evolutionary psychology suggests that the human impulse for moral superiority, out-group shaming, and tribal scapegoating remains entirely unchanged.
• The Debate: Has moral progress actually reduced hatred, or has it simply shifted the target? Are we just replacing old, unacceptable bigotries with new, socially sanctioned forms of vitriol, allowing people to satisfy their psychological urge to punish others while feeling morally pure?

The Luxury of Morality: Is Ethics a Privilege of the Secure?

• The Idea: We place immense social and philosophical pressure on individuals to act ethically and selflessly. However, looking through a sociological lens, ethical behavior is highly correlated with stability—when resources are scarce and survival is threatened, human psychology defaults to ruthless self-interest.
• The Debate: Is lecturing struggling or marginalized populations on morality a form of classist gaslighting? Should we view high ethical standards not as a universal duty, but as a luxury asset that only those with economic and psychological security can afford to practice?

Moral Luck: The Unfairness of Ethical Judgment

• The Normative Ethical Concept: We generally believe people should only be judged for things under their control. Yet, philosopher Bernard Williams introduced the concept of "Moral Luck." Imagine two drunk drivers: one drives home safely through pure luck; the other hits a pedestrian who stepped into the street. One gets a traffic ticket; the other gets a prison sentence for vehicular manslaughter.
• The Debate: Their intent and choice were identical, yet we judge and punish them completely differently based on random external factors. If our moral status is heavily dictated by luck (including the luck of where we were born, our genetics, and the situations we encounter), does the entire concept of personal moral accountability collapse?