Optimum morality
A recent study (1) from Columbia Business School shows a counterintuitive and unexpected result – People with utilitarian responses to moral dilemmas also tend to have antisocial personalities. Utilitarian responses have been equated with optimum morality. However, such traits are not expected in those exhibiting antisocial behavior such as Machiavellianism.
The study dismisses the finding by noting that it was not able to differentiate the orgins of utilitarian responses – i.e. whether the person responded in an optimal way, because of underlying concern for society or if she is just suffering from emotional deficits. This is an escape – as the finding points to more fundamental questions about individuals and the society in general.
Optimization is a thought process imparted on professionals in many different fields. They are taught how to minimize cost and time and maximize speed and profits. It is integral to most education systems. Thus given a utilitarian dilemma, the tendency for the individual to optimize societal utility has to be the by-product of the scientific education. The "dark side," of such optimization cannot be just swept under the rug, as the study attempts to do. Such optimization, invariably means the process is disconnected from "human emotions." In fact, most engaged in this are taught to consider such qualitative feelings as noise, to be avoided at any cost. Antisocial behavior, thus, may also be a by-product of the education process.
So, a more fundamental question is whether humanity took a turn in its mental structure, when it chose Science many centuries ago. We are on a road with no possibility of turning back and we will drive every brain cell to respond in an utilitarian way. At the end of the road, we should have fully robotized brains with unambiguous utilitarian responses to every dilemma and along with it a complete elimination of human noise, that some call "social behavior." In the meantime, we can debate how "morality," is defined and how it should be optimized.
(1) Antisocial Personality Traits Predict Utilitarian Responses to Moral Dilemmas. Science Daily, Sep 30, 2011 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110930153042.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29
