Cultural survival must not be equated with moral superiority

Evidence

In the study of the varying cultural survival rates of religious ideas, traditions and groups, we must be careful not to conflate cultural superiority and moral superiority—a version of the well-known naturalistic fallacy that erroneously derives ought from is. A cultural tradition or group that disappears is no more or less moral than a cultural group or tradition that survives. History shows that some of the most culturally resilient human practices, such as slavery or warfare, are also known as the most morally objectionable ones, and conversely, some of the most morally elevating ones, such as protecting civilians during wars, or accountable government institutions, have dubious records of cultural success. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 639

Categorization

Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims

• XREF: Sharpens the reader’s integration: religious institutional persistence (Japanese suppression of Christianity) is a cultural-success fact, not a moral one.
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: does the partner-choice account (Baumard) imply moral evaluation of surviving religions that this passage warns against?

Related

• Culturally successful practices are not morally superior ones. (similarity 0.92)
• The most culturally resilient practices are not the most moral ones (similarity 0.92)
• Studying only surviving religions introduces survivor bias (similarity 0.80)
• Counter-narratives to Western superiority lack equal cultural exposure. (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Counter-narratives to Western superiority lack equal cultural exposure. #complicates (0.72) — Peter Morey, Islamophobia and the Novel, 71