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Culturally-evolved joint programs as a bridge between social norms and in-the-moment reasoning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2026

Dhara Yu Open the ORCID record for Dhara Yu [Opens in a new window]  and
Bill D. Thompson Open the ORCID record for Bill D. Thompson [Opens in a new window]
Dhara Yu*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, US dharakyu@berkeley.edu wdt@berkeley.edu
Bill D. Thompson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, US dharakyu@berkeley.edu wdt@berkeley.edu
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

We support the proposal and advocate for greater continuity between in-the-moment moral reasoning and culturally-evolved moral norms. The target article construes culturally-evolved norms as rigid byproducts of blind selection and therefore out of scope. A more integrative account can be achieved by viewing norms as culturally-evolved joint programs that reflect a history of resource-rational reasoning by the people who learned them and passed them on.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e159
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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