Thanks CJ for your work and preparation. I echo what others said. A thought provoking, lively discussion with excellent contributions from everyone. I enjoyed meeting everyone.

Excellent topic, wll moderated. Thanks, CJ and all for time well spent!

Great discussion. Very lively, informed and stimulating. Everyone contributed and had something interesting to offer. C.J. did a fine job of keeping the discussion balanced and shared by all as well as bringing up questions raised by Sapolsky in the videos.

A very stimulating discussion - a lot of different views, which always makes it interesting

Tomorrow we will discuss the biological roots of morality. The 4th & final optional video by Robert Sapolsky is "Aggression IV": http://y2u.be/BqP4_4kr7-0

Pseudospeciation: psychological mechanisms to make others seem so different from us that you don't even view them as human: "us v. them". Do Hitler & bin Laden deserve the same moral considerations as other human beings?

The theme of metaphor and symbol from the 2nd & 3rd videos continue as Sapolsky explores peacemaking.

Profound treatment of cooperation: there are many tools to increase cooperative behavior, but cooperation is also a prerequisite to genocide! The scariest thing on the planet is when a group of males starts to cooperate and look at others around them.

The conclusion is poignant & profound: the exact same behaviors are cheered & are "the most frightening possible thing that can happen to us". Aggressive behavior is complex!

Read my notes: https://t.co/UnCcrqBtJX­

Watch "Aggression IV": http://y2u.be/BqP4_4kr7-0

For tomorrow's discussion on the biological roots of morality, the optional Sapolsky video "Aggression IV" (http://y2u.be/BqP4_4kr7-0 ) explores the genetic & evolutionary effects shaping human aggression. In the vast majority of social species and in all human cultures, the major cause of aggression is "male-male violence over reproductive access to females". Is that true? The second most common cause of human aggression is males attacking females over denial of sexual access. Whoa, is human aggression largely about sexual violence? Is that what Sapolsky means when he says that human males often pathologically confuse sexual behavior with violence?

Sapolsky goes in depth exploring pseudokinship (unrelated individuals cooperating as if they were brothers) and pseudospeciation (humans behaving as if other people are not even human). Is "us vs. them" thinking a major factor in aggression, warfare & morality?

Watch "Aggression IV": http://y2u.be/BqP4_4kr7-0

This could perhaps be more difficult or challenging without the psychological and philosophical benefits of practicing a faith or being part of a religious community. Also, to be more specific, every religion has its instructions and guidelines on how to lead the good life, avoid temptation and the desire for revenge. This is not just for an individual moral decision or choice, but also for instructing how we live in society and cooperate with others and provide for the common good in a way. For example, the Ten Commandments, Islamic law, the Bible, Torah, Koran, etc.

Hello, I am on the waitlist for this fascinating discussio. In fact, I have a future book idea with exactly these themes, specifically about altruism. I was wondering if there were notes that could be archived to our group afterwards for later reflection and study?

The overarching question is: can we still be psychologically positive and 'fit' with the ability to cope and be resilient in society, making moral choices without religion? We hear about meditation all the time, how MRI scans can reveal the changes of the biology of the brain and how this is oftentimes identified with a religion of a certain kind.
( Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism--yoga)

One question to consider: what is the role of religion in helping to shape an individual towards making more moral choices and towards morality? Consequently, one can still be moral without 'getting religion'but it seems that if an atheist or agnostic individual tried to live a moral life, it would appear to be similar to living a Nietzche lifestyle focused on solely the individual 'to overcome the world with a Superman mentality' and his or her response to events and conditions and his or her ability to cope with such circumstances and sometimes life-altering conditions/events and also its connections to making moral choices as a result.

Saturday's discussion on The Biology of Morality will include a key segment on the environmental shaping of morality which is based on Sapolsky's video "Aggression III" (http://y2u.be/EtVfoIkVSu8 ; read my extensive notes here: http://tinyurl.com/lj9zt5t­).

Yesterday I commented on the proximal environmental context of aggression & morality. A more distal mechanism is childhood development. Sapolsky explores the role of Theory of Mind (ToM: the recognition that others may have different information, thoughts, and feelings than I have) and empathy. Is ToM necessary for empathy?

He critiques Kohlberg's famed stages of moral development in kids. If not Kohlberg, then how does our moral development mature as kids?

He looks at the fascinating role of the peer group. Is it more important to moral development than one's parents?

The conclusion blew me away: Is moral reasoning cognitive thought or implicit rules overlearned in childhood?

Watch "Aggression III" http://y2u.be/EtVfoIkVSu8

On Saturday we will discuss Biology and Morality. The 3rd video in the Sapolsky series more directly addresses morality.

Video "Aggression III": http://y2u.be/EtVfoIkVSu8

Jonathan Haight's work suggests that moral reasoning is mostly after the fact rationalization for moral affect (the affective or emotional decision-making of the limbic system). Sapolsky observed in "Aggression II" (http://y2u.be/wLE71i4JJiM) that metaphor and reality get mixed in the brain. Moral disgust and nausea are centered in the insular cortex of the limbic system.

Sapolsky argues that aggression is largely about frustration, pain, stress, fear and anxiety. Pain is the most reliable releasing stimulus for aggressive behavior. But he observes that lions fight more when resources are plentiful: behavioral fat. Is it the environmental context and not morality that most regulates our aggressiveness? Is morality just rationalization of our limbic behavior?

Watch "Aggression III": http://y2u.be/EtVfoIkVSu8

Saturday's discussion will explore the biological roots of morality. Watching the videos and reading the notes are optional.

Video "Aggression I": http://y2u.be/JPYmarGO5jM
Read my notes on the video at http://tinyurl.com/mg8aaww­

Video "Aggression II": http://y2u.be/wLE71i4JJiM
Read my notes on the video at http://tinyurl.com/p4vucee­

This video also discusses how the dichotomy between thought & emotion has crumbled in modern brain science. Josh Greene's studies show that subjects who activate the anterior cingulate are less likely to think it OK to smother a crying child when hiding from the Nazis. His runaway trolley experiment showed that people with frontal cortical damage are more likely to choose utilitarian options. Some studies show our moral choices are more utilitarian and selfish when the frontal cortex is turned off (by transmagnetic stimulation).

What is the role of morality given that we are fundamentally emotional animals? Is moral reasoning rationalized affect?

Saturday's discussion on the biological roots of morality is based on 6 hours of video lectures which are recommended but optional.

Yesterday I summarized "Aggression I": http://y2u.be/JPYmarGO5jM

In "Aggression II" (105 m video: break it into 2 or 3 viewing sessions), Sapolsky explores in depth the roles of the amygdala and frontal cortex in governing human aggression. The frontal cortex regulates appropriate behavior in the context of violence, aggression, competition & cooperation. The frontal cortex is what makes us human: to choose the better behavior in the face of temptation. Is that the essence of morality?

The legal implications of brain damage and criminal behavior have focused on the difference between right & wrong. We now know that with some frontal cortex damage you can compulsively do the wrong thing despite knowing it's wrong! Is such a person culpable? Should the insanity defense rules recognize this brain science?

Watch "Aggression II": http://y2u.be/wLE71i4JJiM

For Saturday's discussion on the biological roots of morality, I recommend 4 optional videos by Robert Sapolsky. The 1st video is "Aggression I": http://y2u.be/JPYmarGO5jM (skip the first 52 minutes).

Sapolsky emphasizes that aggression is an integral part of human behavior: we often love & value aggression. He tells two powerful stories about aggressive behavior that we would all cheer (one about himself & another about his wife). Do we value, cheer, vote for, reward, & sometimes even join in aggressive behavior? Will you pay good money to see aggressive behavior? Is it the context of aggression that makes it praise- or blame-worthy?

Sapolsky explores what is unique in the animal world about human aggression and empathy. Justice, empathy, and killing one's own are not unique. But we employ them in subtle ways that most animals could never understand. What is unique about human empathy & aggression?

Watch "Aggression I": http://y2u.be/JPYmarGO5jM (skip 52m)

Your notes are excellent, CJ, especially for those who prefer reading to video. Thanks!

A week from tomorrow we will discuss "The Biology of Morality". This discussion is based on 4 Robert Sapolsky videos (a total of 6 h). Watching videos is optional, but Sapolsky is a treat so I hope you can watch some of them. I recommend watching the videos in segments to break them up. Here's a guide:

Aggression I (last 45 minutes of a 1h 35m video): http://y2u.be/JPYmarGO5jM
Discusses what is unique about human aggression & empathy; starts talking about the neurology of aggression

Aggression II (1h 45m video):
http://y2u.be/wLE71i4JJiM
Discusses neuroendocrinology (with a focus on the frontal cortex which makes us human): fascinating discussion on brain damage, crime, & the law

Aggression III (1 h 41m video):
http://y2u.be/EtVfoIkVSu8
Discusses hormonal influences, then extensive coverage on how moral behavior is shaped & formed

Aggression IV (1h 42m video):
http://y2u.be/BqP4_4kr7-0
Discusses genetic & evolutionary shaping of aggression, empathy, cooperation & morality