The divided we and multiple obligations
Franks, B.
& Stewart, A.
(2020).
The divided we and multiple obligations.
Behavioral and Brain Sciences,
43,
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X19002553
& Stewart, A.
(2020).
The divided we and multiple obligations.
Behavioral and Brain Sciences,
43,
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X19002553
Tomasello's account of the origins and nature of moral obligation rightly emphasises the key roles of social relations and a cooperative sense of "we." However, we suggest that it overlooks the complexity of those social relations and the resulting prevalence of a divided "we" in moral social groups. We argue that the social identity dynamics that arise can lead to competing obligations in a single group, and this has implications for the evolution of obligation.