Marc Hauser on the Situation of Morality

Below you will find three parts of an edited lecture by Harvard Professor Marc Hauser. The first part moves from various philosophical theories of morality to social science research into moral dilemmas, leading up to the philosopher’s classic, the “trolley problem.”

* * *

* * *

In the second part, below, Professor Hauser completes his description of the trolley problem and conclusions based on his research into how humans make moral decisions.

* * *

* * *

In the final part, below, Professor Hauser discusses the impact of religious belief on moral decision-making.

* * *

* * *

For a collection of related Situationist posts, see “Marc Hauser on the Situation of Morality,” “The Situation of Innate Morality,” “Moral Psychology Primer,” “Pinker on the Situation of Morality,” and “The Science of Morality.”