Obligations without cooperation

Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Apr 30:43:e79. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19002565.

Abstract

Our sense of obligation is evident outside of joint collaborative activities. Most notably, children and adults recognize that parents are obligated to care for and love their children. This is presumably not because we think parents view their children as worthy cooperative partners, but because special obligations and duties are inherent in certain relational dynamics, namely the parent-child relationship.

Publication types

  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Morals*
  • Parent-Child Relations*
  • Parents