A Case for Inherent Morality

[Belacqua]

Scientists at the infant cognition center of Yale University conducted an eight year study to determine whether babies are born with a sense of right and wrong or are taught it. They concluded that babies are born with it. They said that parents and society enhance the moral values of babies but do not create them.

https://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/13/livin...index.html

If this is the study in question, there are a few things to ponder.

They tested with puppets -- one who appeared helpful and one who didn't. Then the babies when given a choice preferred the helpful puppet. But as I said earlier, I'm not sure whether this is a moral choice or a pragmatic one. Anybody would want the puppet who helped, if he thought it would help him. Choosing the method of helping yourself is not moral. It would be more of a morality test if the babies sacrificed the help they might receive and gave the helpful puppet to someone who needed it more.

And later in the article it says that "They prefer puppets who have the same tastes as them and they actually want the puppets with the different tastes -- they like other puppets who punish them." This seems to me to indicate innate immorality. But it's not exactly a decisive result for all humans.

So maybe there are lots more studies that I haven't Googled yet. One thing I've found about psych results published in the popular press -- they are often sensationalized and spun to give exciting results. Like the study showing that people love their smart phones as much as their wives. But on closer inspection they often turn out to be somewhat less exciting. 

If you know of other studies I'd be interested to see them.

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@John 6IX Breezy

This is more up your alley. Is there a consensus in the field these days?