| Concept/Content |
behavior / courtship ritual of blue-footed boobies |
| Information caption |
A first challenge for biologists interpreting morality is to characterize it in terms amenable to science. Abstract concepts of 'right' and 'wrong', or virtuous motives and good intentions, must be expressed in terms of what can be observed or measured. First, then, biologists address morality concretely as a form of behavior — such as these blue-footed boobies displaying their vivid blue feet in courtship. As such, moral behavior fits in a context of other behaviors: foraging, mating and nesting, securing territory, play, grooming and other social interactions. Ultimately, morality is a form of behavior.
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| Inquiry caption |
Here is a pair of blue-footed boobies from the Galapagos Islands: displaying their vivid blue feet in courtship. We can observe the behavior and interpret it in terms of reproduction. We can compare it with courtship behavior in related species. What do we do with morality? Abstract concepts of 'right' and 'wrong', or virtuous motives and good intentions, or systems of justice, do not seem directly observable or measurable. How might you begin to characterize morality as a form of behavior? Can you provide an example?
Target Concept: Morality is a form of behavior. |
| Source |
Anderson Free Press |
| SIZE in pixels [file size] |
670x503 |
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