The amoral atheist? A cross-national examination of cultural, motivational, and cognitive antecedents of disbelief, and their implications for morality.

Tomas Ståhl,Valerio Capraro

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0246593

Abstract

There is a widespread cross-cultural stereotype suggesting that atheists are untrustworthy and lack a moral compass. Is there any truth to this notion? Building on theory about the cultural, (de)motivational, and cognitive antecedents of disbelief, the present research investigated whether there are reliable similarities as well as differences between believers and disbelievers in the moral values and principles they endorse. Four studies examined how religious disbelief (vs. belief) relates to endorsement of various moral values and principles in a predominately religious (vs. irreligious) country (the U.S. vs. Sweden). Two U.S. M-Turk studies (Studies 1A and 1B, N = 429) and two large cross-national studies (Studies 2–3, N = 4,193), consistently show that disbelievers (vs. believers) are less inclined to endorse moral values that serve group cohesion (the binding moral foundations). By contrast, only minor differences between believers and disbelievers were found in endorsement of other moral values (individualizing moral foundations, epistemic rationality). It is also demonstrated that presumed cultural and demotivational antecedents of disbelief (limited exposure to credibility-enhancing displays, low existential threat) are associated with disbelief. Furthermore, these factors are associated with weaker endorsement of the binding moral foundations in both countries (Study 2). Most of these findings were replicated in Study 3, and results also show that disbelievers (vs. believers) have a more consequentialist view of morality in both countries. A consequentialist view of morality was also associated with another presumed antecedent of disbelief—analytic cognitive style.

Highlights

Over the last 40 years, we have seen dramatic improvements in attitudes toward most racial and religious minorities in the U.S Improvements in attitudes toward atheists, appear to be lagging behind [1]
The association between religiosity and endorsement of the binding moral foundations found in Study 1A was replicated, while controlling for individual differences in impression management (IM) and self-deceptive enhancement (SDE) (R2 = .22)
The purpose of the present research was to systematically examine how conceptualizations of morality differ between disbelievers and believers, and to explore whether moral psychological differences between these groups could be due to four presumed antecedents of disbelief

Summary

Introduction

Over the last 40 years, we have seen dramatic improvements in (explicit) attitudes toward most racial and religious minorities in the U.S Improvements in attitudes toward atheists, appear to be lagging behind [1]. According to a Pew poll from 2019, Americans have a more unfavorable attitude toward atheists (and Muslims) than toward any other religious group [2]. Whereas 93 to 96 percent of Americans reported being willing to vote.

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Discussion

Conclusion