Table 1 An adapted version of the origins, triggers and characteristics of the six moral foundations from The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt [9]
From: Navigating conflict and difference in medical education: insights from moral psychology
| Â | Care/ harm | Fairness/ cheating | Loyalty/ betrayal | Authority/ subversion | Sanctity/degradation | Liberty/oppression |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adaptive challenge | Protect and care for children | Reap benefits of two-way partnerships | Form cohesive coalitions | Forge beneficial relationships within hierarchies | Avoid contaminants | Ensure freedom from dominant members of society |
Original triggers | Suffering, distress, or neediness expressed by one’s child | Cheating, cooperation, deception | Threat or challenge to group | Signs of dominance and submission | Waste products, diseased people | Bullies, tyrants, signs of attempted domination |
Current triggers | Baby seals, cute cartoon characters | Marital fidelity, broken vending machines | Sports teams, nations | Bosses, respected professionals | Taboo ideas (communism, racism) | Government, taxation, big corporations |
Characteristic emotions | Compassion | Anger, gratitude, guilt | Group pride, rage at traitors | Respect, fear | Disgust | Righteous anger/reactance |
Relevant virtues | Caring, kindness | Fairness, justice, trustworthiness | Loyalty, patriotism, self-sacrifice | Obedience, deference | Temperance, chastity, piety, cleanliness | Liberty, freedom, justice |