The strange politics of disgust | David Pizarro

TL;DR

This content discusses the role of disgust in influencing moral beliefs and political intuitions, providing evidence of the connection.

Transcript

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast In the 17th century, a woman named Giulia Tofana had a very successful perfume business. For over 50 years she ran it. It sort of ended abruptly when she was executed — (Laughter) — for murdering 600 men. You see, it wasn't a very good perfume. In fact, it was completely odorless and tasteless and color... Read More

Key Insights

• 💀 Giulia Tofana had a successful perfume business that ended when she was executed for using her perfume as a poison.
• 💪 Our innate poison detector helps us avoid things that might harm us, including physical contaminants and moral beliefs that disgust us.
• 💩 Disgust is a universal emotion that can be easily elicited by images and smells associated with bodily substances and disease.
• 🤢 Disgust sensitivity is linked to political conservatism and opposition to issues like gay marriage.
• 🗳️ Regions with higher disgust sensitivity tend to vote for conservative candidates, highlighting the connection between disgust and political behavior.
• 🤔 Experimental studies have shown that inducing disgust can shift attitudes towards the right and increase moral conservatism.
• 🚫 Disgust can influence our moral judgements, making us more morally conservative and judgmental of taboo but harmless sexual practices.
• 🧪 While the scientific method may not fully explain the complex relationship between disgust and our moral and political beliefs, this research helps identify the questions we should be asking.

Questions & Answers

Q: Who was Giulia Tofana and what was her business?

Giulia Tofana was a woman in the 17th century who had a successful perfume business. She ran it for over 50 years. However, her business came to an abrupt end when she was executed for murdering 600 men.

Q: What was unique about the perfume sold by Giulia Tofana?

The perfume sold by Giulia Tofana was completely odorless, tasteless, and colorless. However, it was highly effective as a poison.

Q: Why were poisoners valued and feared in the past?

Poisoning a human being was a difficult task because humans have a built-in poison detector. This deep-rooted response helped to keep humans away from physical contaminants. Thus, poisoners who were successful in their attempts were highly valued and feared.

Q: How does the emotion of disgust influence our moral beliefs and political intuitions?

There is growing evidence to suggest that the emotion of disgust plays a role in shaping our moral beliefs and political intuitions. Disgust, which initially developed to protect us from physical contamination, now extends to influence our perceptions and judgments in various domains, including politics and morality.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Giulia Tofana ran a successful perfume business in the 17th century, but it was actually a front for her poison business, where women could buy poison to kill their husbands.

• Disgust is a basic human emotion that evolved to keep us away from physical contaminants, but it also influences our moral beliefs and political intuitions.

• Research suggests that individuals who are easily disgusted are more likely to be politically conservative and have negative attitudes towards social groups, such as gay men.