Morality Gene?

Nicholas Wade of NYT online reviews Jonathan Haidt's views of morality in The Happiness Hypothesis and articles in Is Do Unto Others Written in Our Genes?:

"Where do moral rules come from? From reason, some philosophers say. From God, say believers. Seldom considered is a source now being advocated by some biologists, that of evolution."

I consider Haidt's definition of morality too broad to truly reflect do-no-harm and justice-for-all morality because Haidt has included moralistic conservative attitudes in his definition.

Haidt's article in Edge has evoked considerable criticism because he misrepresents religion as the route to morality and makes unfounded criticisms of the New Atheism.


Reactions to Haidt's article: on Edge by Michael Shermer, David Sloan Wilson, Sam Harris, and PZ Myers . Bulldust about atheism and morality . Haidt Hype . Misunderstanding the New Atheism . NewScientist "If morality is hard wired in the brain - What's the point of Religion?" . The Altruism Equation . Evolution for Goodness Sake . Evolution of Morality .

atheismbiological evolutioncognitiongenesmoralitynatural selectionpsychologyreligion