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Survival fear from prehistoric times drives today's moral outrage

Ellsworth Toohey
Jan 13, 2025
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"Man in the days of the cave bear and mammoth" From "Peoples of the World", by Robert Brown, published by Cassell & Co (Vol 5), Public Domain

Deep in our evolutionary past, the constant threat of becoming prey shaped not just how our ancestors survived — but potentially how we make every moral judgment today. That's the argument from moral psychologist Kurt Gray, who believes our ancient fears still drive modern ethical debates from abortion to immigration.

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