Valentina Caicedo
Moral Foundations
Dr. Hoffman
MT: Chapter One 1-27
In the first chapter of Greene’s Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason and the Gap Between Us and
Them, one of the first concepts introduces is morality. Greene interpretation of morality is that it
will eventually evolve into a solution to the conflict of cooperation. He mentions morality to be
an adaptation the allows non-selfish people to experience the benefits of being apart if
cooperation. With the concept of morality comes the concept of metamorality, which according
to Greene is the existence of two tragedies that threaten human’s well-being. The first tragedy is
the “Tragedy of Common”, which he defines to be the act of selfish-ness and the failure of
putting other’s needs before one’s need. Like mentioned before morality can be seen as a
solution, it can be seen as a solution for “Tragedy of Common”. Having morality is what allows
us to see what is wrong and what is right. It also allows us to put others benefits above our own,
thus eliminating the idea of selfish-ness. The second tragedy is the “Tragedy of Commonsense”,
which as defined by Greene is the problem of life on the new pastures, problems that divide us. It
is viewing life on very different moral perspectives. Again morality can be a solution to the
“Tragedy of Commonsense” but it can also be an enabler to the concept. Greene explains that
“Here morality is undoubtedly part of the problem. In the modern tragedy, the very same moral
thinking that enables cooperation within groups undermines cooperation between groups. What
Greene means is that in a way moral thinking even when being used in cooperative groups can
also be the force that can break these cooperative groups and enables “Tragedy of
commonsense.” Greene also mentions the idea of “tribal” disagreements. What he means with
that concept is that we see our issues in the view of Us, what is hurting Us, what is benefitting Us
and not Them. It is not seeing how the problem is collectively hurting everyone. I think that this
concept overall relates to our present political seasons because a of people I would say including
myself chose a presidential candidate based on what would be hurting my family in other words
Us and not them.