Moralities of Everyday Life

Yale University

About this Course

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How can we explain kindness and cruelty? Where does our sense of right and wrong come from? Why do people so often disagree about moral issues? This course explores the psychological foundations of our moral lives.

Learner Career Outcomes

11%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Approx. 24 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Chinese (Simplified), Russian, Albanian, English, Spanish, Romanian

Skills you will gain

PhilosophyPsychologySocial PsychologyMoral Universe

Learner Career Outcomes

11%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Approx. 24 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Chinese (Simplified), Russian, Albanian, English, Spanish, Romanian

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.8/5 (458 Ratings)

Paul Bloom

Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University

Psychology

595,227 Learners

2 Courses

Offered by

Yale University

For more than 300 years, Yale University has inspired the minds that inspire the world. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale brings people and ideas together for positive impact around the globe. A research university that focuses on students and encourages learning as an essential way of life, Yale is a place for connection, creativity, and innovation among cultures and across disciplines.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(9,864 ratings)

Week

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Welcome to Moralities of Everyday Life!

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 23 min), 3 readings

1 video

Introduction to the Course22m

3 readings

Meet your instructors!10m

Course resources10m

Pre-Course Survey10m

5 hours to complete

The Big Questions

What is morality, anyway? What are the big debates in the field of moral psychology?

5 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 157 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

9 videos

What is Morality?20m

Philosophical Approaches20m

Reason vs. Emotions15m

The Case of Disgust14m

Cute and Sexy9m

Return to the Trolley Problem6m

The Big Questions13m

Week 1 Office Hours (2015)31m

Week 1 Office Hours (2014)26m

1 reading

Week 1 Readings1h 30m

1 practice exercise

Week 1 Quiz30m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Compassion

Where does concern for others come from? How is it related to empathy—and is more empathy necessarily a good thing? And what can we learn from the study of those who seemingly lack normal moral feelings, such as violent psychopaths?

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 154 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

6 videos

Caring About Others10m

How Do We Treat Strangers?22m

Empathy and Concern27m

Empathy and its Limits16m

Week 2 Office Hours (2015)50m

Week 2 Office Hours (2014)28m

1 reading

Week 2 Readings10m

1 practice exercise

Week 2 Quiz30m

Week

Week 3

5 hours to complete

Origins of Morality

Here, we ask about which aspects of morality are universal. We discuss evolution, cross-cultural research, and the fascinating new science of the moral life of babies.

5 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 269 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

10 videos

Moral Diversity9m

Moral Universals13m

Evolution of Morality20m

Reciprocal Altruism18m

Guest Lecture, Laurie Santos1h 10m

Development of Morality18m

How Much Can Evolution Explain?6m

Discussion with Laurie Santos28m

Week 3 Office Hours (2015)50m

Week 3 Office Hours (2014)33m

1 reading

Week 3 Readings10m

1 practice exercise

Week 3 Quiz30m

Week

Week 4

4 hours to complete

Differences

How does culture influence our moral thought and moral action? What role does religion play? Why are some of us conservative and others liberal, and how do political differences influence our sense of right and wrong?

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 182 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

9 videos

Moral Differences9m

Kinds of Societies17m

Conservatives and Liberals18m

Disgust and Honor I19m

Disgust and Honor II15m

Religion and Morality I13m

Religion and Morality II19m

Week 4 Office Hours (2015)42m

Week 4 Office Hours (2014)27m

1 reading

Week 4 Readings10m

1 practice exercise

Week 4 Quiz30m

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
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Moralities of Everyday Life