Task 6 - Moral Reasoning

Question 1

Deontology

Answer 1

ethical theory that uses rules to distinguish right from wrong –> rule based

• Easy to apply but possibly disregard consequences of our actions when determining what’s right/wrong (often produces outcomes many people would find unacceptable)
• • Agent-relative – each person is responsible for the moral value of their own action

Question 2

Utilitarianism (consequentialism)

Answer 2

determine right & wrong by focusing on outcomes  reason
– Agent-neutral – what is right for one is right for everyone in the group

Question 3

Dual Process Theory (Greene)

Answer 3

Two competing neurological systems:
System 1: Conscious, rational evaluation of the facts the produce a utilitarian response
- activated when there is reduced personal/emotional involvement
- cognitively controlled, utilitarian

System 2: affective response –> non-utilitarian & less rational
- activated when emotionally invested
automatic, deontological

Question 4

Social Intuitionist Model (SIM) Haidt

Answer 4

• Set of causal links, connecting 3 types of psychological processes: intuition, judgement & reasoning
• Intuitive judgement link – one’s judgements are driven primarily by one’s intuitions

Question 5

Reasoned persuasion

SIM

Answer 5

reasoning influences another’s intuition

Question 6

Social persuasion

SIM

Answer 6

own judgement influences another’s by changing their intuition without explicit reasoning

Question 7

Reasoned judgement

SIM

Answer 7

allows reasoning to directly influence judgement

Question 8

Private reflection

SIM

Answer 8

allows reasoning to influence judgement by modifying one’s intuitions

Question 9

Moral Foundations Theory (Haidt)

Answer 9

5 psychological moral foundations on which most cultures & individuals build their systems of morality

• Care/ harm –> prohibitions against harm
• Fairness/ cheating –> reciprocal altruism
• In-group/ loyalty –> commitment to our social group
• Authority/ respect
• Purity/ sanctity –> moral reactions of disgust against spiritual/ physical contagions that must be avoided

Question 10

Relational Models Theory (Fiske)

Answer 10

employ four basic schemas/mental models that coordinate nearly all social interactions
- usually employ multiple models at the same time to navigate different aspects of a social interaction

Question 11

Moral identity - two dimensions

Answer 11

• internalisation = private aspect –> captures chronic accessibility of the self-schema thus indicates chronic subjective experience of having a moral identity
• • Reflecting about distant moral behaviour (resembles internalisation) increases prosocial motivations
• symbolisation = public aspect –> captures importance a person places on exhibiting a public moral self as a way of affirming one’s morality (partly driven by impression management, self-verification motives)
• • Reflecting about recent moral behaviour (resembles symbolisation) decreases prosocial intentions

Question 12

Internalisation primacy principle (IPP)

Answer 12

• Internalisation more important than symbolisation when it comes to impact of moral cues
• Symbolisation is more important when internalisation is low

Question 13

Neural mechanisms

Answer 13

• medial prefrontal cortex
• anterior cingulate cortex
• vmPFC
• insula

Question 14

Factors influencing moral reasoning

Answer 14

• empathy

- stress

Question 15

Empathy as a factor

Answer 15

Morality & empathy are two independent motives, each with its own unique goal

• emotional component: capacity to share and become affectively aroused by others’ emotions
• motivational component: empathic concern –> urge of caring for another’s welfare
• cognitive component: perspective taking – strategy for reducing group biases

Question 16

Stress as a factor

Answer 16

• Stress response appears to preferentially activate regions involved in emotional processing
• More stress = less utilitarian response
• Support for Greene’s dual process theory
• –> Stress gives preference to “automatic” emotional system at expense of the cognitive controlled system

Question 17

Moral Enhancement

Answer 17

Intervention aimed at improving moral decision making and behaviour
- more of an advantage for society rather than individual in question

Question 18

West vs East (cultural differences)

Answer 18

WEST

• deontological ethics: moral obligations are understood to be inescapable, fact-like requirements for behaviour that can be generalised to other situations
• Justice & fairness viewed as matter of equity (= outcomes are proportional to effort)

EAST

• confucianism: – “virtue ethics” in which the cultivation of good character is seen as the key source of moral behaviour (interpersonal duty-based rather than rights-based morality)
• Justice & fairness viewed as matter of equality (= individuals deserve equal outcomes)