Confucian Moral Psychology and Cognitive Science.ppt

“hot” vs. “cold” cognition One way to look at Confucian ethics: “time-delayed” cognitive control embedding higher-level desires and goals in lower-level emotional and sensory-motor systems “hot” vs. “cold” cognition One way to look at Confucian ethics: “time-delayed” cognitive control embedding higher-level desires and goals in lower-level emotional and sensory-motor systems i.e., embedding results of “cold” cognition into “hot” systems E.g., Xunzi and creation of ritual E.g., Xunzi and creation of ritual “Discourse on Ritual” 禮起於何也﹖曰：人生而有欲，欲而不得，則不能無求。求而無度量分界，則不能不爭；爭則亂，亂則窮。 E.g., Xunzi and creation of ritual “Discourse on Ritual” 禮起於何也﹖曰：人生而有欲，欲而不得，則不能無求。求而無度量分界，則不能不爭；爭則亂，亂則窮。 “hot cognition” run wild! E.g., Xunzi and creation of ritual “Discourse on Ritual” 先王惡其亂也 E.g., Xunzi and creation of ritual “Discourse on Ritual” 先王惡其亂也 “hot cognition” too! E.g., Xunzi and creation of ritual “Discourse on Ritual” 先王惡其亂也，故制禮義以分之，以養人之欲，給人之求。使欲必不窮於物，物必不屈於欲。兩者相持而長，是禮之所起也。 E.g., Xunzi and creation of ritual “Discourse on Ritual” 先王惡其亂也，故制禮義以分之，以養人之欲，給人之求。使欲必不窮於物，物必不屈於欲。兩者相持而長，是禮之所起也。 process of self-cultivation E.g., Xunzi and creation of ritual “Discourse on Ritual” 先王惡其亂也，故制禮義以分之，以養人之欲，給人之求。使欲必不窮於物，物必不屈於欲。兩者相持而長，是禮之所起也。 process of self-cultivation embeds the fruits of cold-cognition (how to best distribute limited resources) E.g., Xunzi and creation of ritual “Discourse on Ritual” 先王惡其亂也，故制禮義以分之，以養人之欲，給人之求。使欲必不窮於物，物必不屈於欲。兩者相持而長，是禮之所起也。 process of self-cultivation embeds the fruits of cold-cognition (how to best distribute limited resources) into hot processes (ritually-transformed desires) Valuing “habit” over reflection Valuing “habit” over reflection Xunzi’s ranking of levels of achievement Valuing “habit” over reflection Xunzi’s ranking of levels of achievement “scholar-official” (shi 士) “gentleman” (junzi 君子) “sage” (shengren 聖人) Valuing “habit” over reflection Xunzi’s ranking of levels of achievement “scholar-official” (shi 士) “gentleman” (junzi 君子) “sage”