natural morality 3: mirror, mirror on the wall

So our extended capacity for language - that has been applied to thoughts, ideas and abstractions as well as to the material environment that we share - has not, in and of itself, been the key factor to provide a universal naturally occurring sense of morality. And our ability to re-conceive our "self" and our "clan" in numerous ways, has also not provided the necessary ingredient to generate a mutual sense of morality across all differences and distinctions either.

Although both of these tendencies have promoted and advanced our capacity for conceiving ethical standards, they are both applied in the limited contexts of particular cultures, nations, communities, religions. They have not given rise to truly universal ethical standards. And, as noted, we also freely give ourselves license to create exceptions whenever it seems expedient - which kind of cancels the whole benefit of the ethics thing.

But there is another characteristic we share with other animals which also came to bear on the continuing evolution of our interpersonal relationships.

Particular neurons in the brains of humans and primates as well as some other species and birds, developed the capacity to mirror, or replicate in our own mind an action we observe another doing. So when I kiss my dog my neurons for kissing dogs set off a bunch of reactions. Then when I see you kissing your dog, those same neurons fire off in my brain. This also works when I have never kissed my dog but see you kissing yours. The neurons trigger in my brain and I decide to kiss my dog and find out it sets off all sorts of other happy neurons.

This as been an important part of the ability to pass on learned skills from one individual to others in the troop or clan. It has provided an advantage not only in terms of the material environment but also in terms of the cognitive and social environments.

There are two sets of mirror neurons: one for physical actions and another for emotions. The two working together mean that I not only recognize visually and intellectually the similarity between what you are doing and what I do myself, but my brain registers that recognition as an emotionally embedded experience. In other words I don't just see it, I vicariously experience it myself with all the associated emotional attachments.

The ability to see and recognize the emotions of another and to feel those same emotions, has made possible the capacity for empathy. Empathy makes us able to feel the joy, happiness, curiosity, pleasure, excitement of others - which is why we like parties, raves, concerts, book clubs, movies, bars. When we all get together our personal experience is magnified by the experiences of everyone else around us.

It also makes us feel the fear, sorrow, pain, frustration, anger, despair, grief of others. This is the key component for a universal, naturally occurring sense of morality.


See the next post for an outline of our human capacity for a natural morality