Paul Bloom on the Psychology of Children, and the Morality of Empathy and Disgust | CWT

Belief Formation

Paul Bloom explores how children develop religious and moral beliefs, emphasizing the role of language and cultural context. He notes that children as young as four can begin to form beliefs in invisible agents, like gods, but cultural support is crucial for these beliefs to mature into coherent religious concepts 1. Bloom also highlights that children naturally categorize the world into 'us versus them' groups, often based on language rather than race, which is a significant marker of group affiliation from an early age 1.

There's a tremendous body of evidence now showing a quite sophisticated understanding of the physical and social world.

--- Paul Bloom

This innate tendency to divide the world is not necessarily taught but is a natural part of human development 2.

   

Infant Cognition

Infants possess a surprisingly sophisticated understanding of the world, challenging the notion that they are blank slates. Paul Bloom explains that babies can discern between helpful and harmful actions, indicating an early moral capacity 2. This ability to differentiate between good and bad actors is rooted in natural selection and is evident in experiments where babies show preference for helpers over hinderers 2.

Babies prefer caressers to hitters.

--- Paul Bloom

Additionally, Bloom discusses how infants' happiness and autonomy increase as they grow, with significant improvements around the age of two when language skills develop 3.