Lesson 6: Which statement fits with Patricia Churchland's position?

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Question restatement: The prompt asks which statement aligns with Patricia Churchland's position. Options presented are a mix of statements about morality, brain science, and gender differences. We will evaluate each choice in light of Churchland's neurophilosophical perspective that ethics and moral dispositions are rooted in brain processes and neurochemistry, not in purely a priori or purely social accounts.
Option 1: 'birds are very moral beings and can serve as a model for us' This statement speculates about avian morality as a model, but Churchland’s work focuses on human neurobiology and how brain processes shape moral behavior, not using birds as a normative model. The claim overextends to a model status without engaging brain-based mechanisms specific to humans, so it does not neatly reflect her position.
Option 2: 'there is no connection between brain science and ethics; the brain with its many parts working together simply offers us an analogy to understand how we should all work together as well' This asserts a complete disconnect between neuroscience and ethics, which contradicts Churchland’s central thesis that moral cognition and values are grounded in brain processes and neurobiology. Hence, this is incorrect regarding her view.
Option 3: 'all of the options fit' Since Options 1 and 2 already diverge from Churchland’s stance, claiming that all options fit would be inaccurate. That makes this option unlikely as a faithful summary of her position.
Option 4: 'there are certain hormones that interact with neurons in the brain that orientate us to care for others' This aligns with Churchland’s emphasis on neurochemical and neural mechanisms underpinning social emotions and moral motivation. The idea that hormones and neural circuits guide caring behavior fits her neurophilosophical framework.
Option 5: 'none of the options fit' Given that Option 4 coherently reflects Churchland’s stance, saying none fit would be false.
Option 6: 'male brains are different than female brains and so our morality is quite different' While Churchland discusses neurobiology and culture interplay, this statement makes a broad, essentialist claim about morality based on sex differences that is not the core assertion of her position. It is oversimplified and not an accurate encapsulation of her views about the biology of morality.
Overall assessment: The only option that cleanly maps onto Churchland’s position is Option 4, which recognizes neurochemical and neural contributions to social orientation and moral behavior. The other choices either misrepresent the relationship between brain science and ethics, rely on questionable analogies, or make unfounded generalizations about gender differences in morality.

Introduction to Ethics Quiz for Unit 3

Lesson 6: Which statement fits with Patricia Churchland's position?

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