Gabi Linares

Hon: CLQ Ethical Brain

9/10/12
Text: The Social Animal !a"i# Broo$s% Ch& 1' (19
1. Ask three significant interpretive questions of the text.
)h* #oes Broo$s "al+e the ,ractice o- .,h*sical contact/ in social comm+nication% in
res,ect to a ,erson0s #e"elo,ment1
)h* #oes Broo$s consi#er that the conce,t o- an internal ,o2er str+33le bet2een o+r
emotional brain an# o+r lo3ical brain is a $in# o- .-ol$ stor*/1
)h* #oes Broo$s "al+e the int+itionist "ie2 o"er the .-ol$/ "ie2 o- an internal str+33le
bet2een Le"el 1 an# Le"el 2 o- o+r brain1
2. Choose one of the questions you have posed and provide a plausible answer to the
question, which can be supported by textual evidence.
Q+estion 42 Broo$s belie"es that ,eo,le #on0t ma$e ba# moral #ecisions beca+se the*
2eren0t able to control their Le"el 1 brain a3ainst their Le"el 2 brain& 5ather he belie"es
that the core comm+nication is 2ithin the Le"el 1 brain% an# this comm+nication is
sha,e# b* o+r interactions 2ith others as 2ell as o+r inherent abilit* to ,ercei"e moral
an# immoral actions&
3. Cite four places in the text, which support your answer
.This -ol$ 2is#om ,res+mes that there is a ,o2er str+33le at the core o- o+r moral
#ecisions6 7n this a,,roach% Le"el 2 conscio+sness is the hero& Le"el 1 instincts are the
"illains&/ ,& 2'9
.Erica thrashin3 abo+t that ni3ht 82hen she committe# a#+lter*9 in a3on*% are not cool%
reasone# :+#3ments% the* are #ee, an# o-ten hot res,onses& )e 3o thro+3h o+r #a*s
ma$in3 instant moral e"al+ations abo+t beha"ior% 2itho+t reall* ha"in3 to thin$ abo+t
2h*& )e see in:+stice an# 2e0re -+rio+s& )e see charit* an# 2e are 2arme#&/ ,& 2;0
.<+rthermore% i- the rationalist -ol$ theor*% 2ith its em,hasis on Le"el 2 moral reasonin3%
2ere correct% then *o+ 2o+l# ex,ect ,eo,le 2ho #o moral reasonin3 all #a* to be% in -act%
more moral& 5esearchers ha"e st+#ie# this% too& The*0"e -o+n# there0s relati"el* little
relationshi, bet2een moral theori=in3 an# noble beha"ior&/ ,&2;1
.7t is not :+st ta$in3 in a scene b+t% almost sim+ltaneo+sl*% 2ei3hin3 its meanin3%
e"al+atin3 it% an# 3eneratin3 an emotion abo+t it& 7n -act% man* scientists no2 belie"e that
moral ,erce,tions are a$in to aesthetic or sens+al ,erce,tions% emanatin3 -rom man* o-
the same re3ions o- the brain&/ ,&2;>
. !tate a plausible alternative interpretation to your answer and give one citation.
Broo$s ma* belie"e that the core comm+nication o- #ecision ma$in3 is 2ithin the Le"el
1 brain% b+t the interactions 2ith ,eo,le ,la* a $e* role in sha,in3 ho2 2e act those
,erce,tions o+t&
.7t0s more abo+t 2hat 2e a#mire than 2hat 2e #o% more abo+t the :+#3ments 2e
ma$e than o+r abilit* to li"e +, to them& B+t 2e are ,ossesse# b* a #ee,
moti"ation to be an# be seen as a moral ,erson&/ ,& 2;;
". !tate briefly whether you still hold to your original answer of if you have changed and
why#
Broo$s all+#es to an em,hasis on ,eo,le0s interactions sha,in3 their ,erce,tion o- moral
#ecisions b+t he #oes ma$e it clear i- this is a $e* role&
$. !tate briefly whether or not you agree with the author%s position &either interpretation'
and why#
Altho+3h Broo$s ,laces an em,hasis on balance bet2een ex,erience an# reasonin3% 7
belie"e there are circ+mstance 2here one can chan3e their ,erce,tion o- 2hat is moral
an# 3oo#% base# on one0s s+rro+n#in3s an# the ,eo,le one interacts 2ith&
(. !uggest future research you )ight pursue about this text and why.
An inter"ie2 2ith Broo$s 2o+l# be the most concl+si"e 2a* o- #e-inin3 2hether or not
he belie"es social interaction ,laces a $e* role
A s+r"e* o- 2hether or not ,eo,le chan3e minor/ma:or moral actions base# on the 3ro+,s
the* interact 2ith