Kurt Gray, UNC Chapel Hill

Understanding Moral Divide 

Our moral world is divided. Decades of research assumes that differences in moral judgment require a set of distinct moral mechanisms, but my work demonstrates that, despite moral disagreement and diversity, the moral mind is ultimately unified by a common currency of harm. Interpersonal harm serves as the cognitive template of moral judgment. This harm is neither objective nor reasoned, but rather subjective and intuitive. A unified, harm-based moral mind argues against the psychological existence of "harmless wrongs" while embracing moral diversity and cultural pluralism. In addition to changing our understanding of moral cognition, this work reveals a practical application of a unified moral mind: sharing personal experiences of harm provides an effective means of bridging moral divides.

This talk is based on the recently published book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground.

Sponsored by the Polarization And Social Change Lab (PASCL), Department of Sociology.