The 2008 World Science Festival kicked off last night with events around the city, including a panel here at the Y on the science of morality and the biological roots of empathy. It featured evolutionary biologist Marc Hauser, philosopher Daniel Dennett, neuroscientist Antonio Damasio and philosopher Patricia Churchland. Science magazine’s blog has some choice quotes from the evening:

They begin by defining morality. Churchland calls it “a subset of behavior within a larger set of social behavior.” Damasio thinks of it as a collection of rules pertaining to “a set of actions where the actor would be rewarded or punished after the action.” Dennett shakes his Darwinian beard at the two of them and suggests that they both left out the uniquely human aspect of morality. “It’s about what you ought to do—what’s right, not just what’s prudent,” he says. And Hauser offers a question instead of a definition: “Is it morally wrong for someone in their own house to masturbate with a chicken?”

The chicken pops up again a little later, as the four discuss whether people need to believe in God to act morally. (None of them thinks so; neither does most of the audience, apparently, giving Dennett a thunder of applause when he calls that idea “the most pernicious falsehood spread today.") The problem, Churchland elaborates, is when people think God is telling them what other people should and shouldn’t do. She says, “I don’t mind whether people masturbate with a chicken or whether they believe in God—as long as it’s not my chicken.”

Philosopher-blogger Berto of the Philosophy Monkey blog had a good time as well:

I spoke with Hauser for a while after the forum, and he is one smart, well educated and generous thinker, making the time to delve into fascinating scientific and philosophical topics with little ol’ me.

Next up on the science front: environmentalist and best-selling author of The End of Nature, Bill McKibben. Come meet him on Monday.