The Scientific Basis of Morals, and Other Essays / Viz.: Right and Wrong, The Ethics of Belief, The Ethics of Religion

A set of essays examines moral feelings, duties of belief, and religious convictions through a scientific and evidential lens. One essay defines the moral sense as a distinct pleasure or displeasure, traces its social origins including the formation of a tribal self, and treats ethical maxims as hypothetical rules derived from experience. Another argues that belief must be proportioned to evidence and that accepting unsupported propositions is morally culpable because of their harmful consequences. A further essay applies the same evidential standard to religious faith, evaluating its practical effects on conduct and public duty.