Moral emotions are dominated by punitive anger, not avoidance

Evidence

The evolutionary hypothesis advanced by Baumard et al. makes precise predictions on which emotions should play the main role in our moral lives: morality should be more closely linked to “avoidance” emotions (like contempt and disgust) than to “punitive” emotions (like anger). Here, we argue that these predictions run contrary to most psychological evidence. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 346

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s framework on partner choice (Baumard et al.) vs. partner control — this is the psychological-evidence side of the debate that complements the fumi-e analysis. — connects to: A partner-choice account of morality predicts avoidant emotions dominate moral life — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 348; Mutualistic anthropology explains moral anger as an evolved fairness-restoring mechanism — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 354; Anger deters aggression and seeks bargaining power rather than fairness. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 661 (+1 more)

Related

• A partner-choice account of morality predicts avoidant emotions dominate moral life (similarity 0.91)
• Mutualistic anthropology explains moral anger as an evolved fairness-restoring mechanism (similarity 0.88)
• Morality may have evolved via partner choice over partner control (similarity 0.83)
• Anger deters aggression and seeks bargaining power rather than fairness. (similarity 0.82)
• Moral anger tracks the offender’s intentions, not just the harm done (similarity 0.81)
• Fairness regulates rather than generates the moralized expression of evolved dispositions (similarity 0.81)
• Mutualistic cost-benefit logic may explain transcendent moral sentiment. (similarity 0.80)
• Incidental feelings like disgust and fatigue bias moral judgments indirectly by skewing cost evaluation. (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• A partner-choice account of morality predicts avoidant emotions dominate moral life #contradicts (0.85) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 348
• Mutualistic anthropology explains moral anger as an evolved fairness-restoring mechanism #corroborates (0.80) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 354
• Anger deters aggression and seeks bargaining power rather than fairness. #qualifies (0.75) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 661