Abstract
We respond to four sets of criticisms of our book, A Better Ape. Against Kristin Andrews, we argue that human normativity is more than just the social maintenance of behavioral conformity, and that one of its functions is to enable humans to adapt to changing environments. Against Jay Odenbaugh, we argue that sympathy, loyalty, trust, and respect are emotions, and that norms are capable of motivating behavior on their own. In response to Mara Bollard, we develop a view about the content of moral emotions, and explain how essentialism might also have positive effects in moral cognition. In response to Joshua May, we defend the power of social integration to foster moral progress and expand our taxonomy of moral progress.
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