BABIES, BLOOM, MORALS...

I was reading an article by Paul Bloom. He's a psychologist at Yale University involved with the "Infant Cognition Center" there. He and his wife ( Karen Wynn, who runs the lab), and a graduate student, Kiley Hamlin, are conducting studies on the moral lives of infants. Actually, I believe that Ms. Hamlin is conducting the study and the Bloom-Wynns are a part of it.

Anyway, Dr. Bloom believe that morality is "bred in the bones". Through a series of videotaped experiences, children innately chose "moral" or kind puppets over mean or unkind puppets-this, after viewing a puppet show where the puppets demonstrated their characteristics. It was fascinating. There have also been studies (performed elsewhere and years before), where children as young a just a few months, demonstrated an innate knowledge of gravity. And many lay people know children's ability to learn languages before the age of six years-much easier than adults are able to learn. This has been called "the innate language module" (Noam Chomsky).

Makes you wonder where our babies REALLY come from...who they REALLY are...and who we're really ACCOUNTABLE for...and to whom...