The Psychological Basis of Moral Judgments

The Psychological Basis of Moral Judgments
Author: John J. Park
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2021-07-19
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1000402150

This volume examines the psychological basis of moral judgments and asks what theories of concepts apply to moral concepts. By combining philosophical reasoning and empirical insights from the fields of moral psychology, cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, and neuroscience, it considers what mental states not only influence, but also constitute our moral concepts and judgments. On this basis, Park proposes a novel pluralistic theory of moral concepts which includes three different cognitive structures and emotions. Thus, our moral judgments are shown to be a hybrid that express both cognitive and conative states. In part through analysis of new empirical data on moral semantic intuitions, gathered via cross-cultural experimental research, Park reveals that the referents of individuals’ moral judgments and concepts vary across time, contexts, and groups. On this basis, he contends for moral relativism, where moral judgments cannot be universally true across time and location but only relative to groups. This powerfully argued text will be of interest to researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in cognitive science, moral theory, philosophy of psychology, and moral psychology more broadly. Those interested in ethics, applied social psychology, and moral development will also benefit from the volume.

Making Moral Judgments

Making Moral Judgments
Author: Donelson Forsyth
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2019-10-17
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1000710904

This fascinating new book examines diversity in moral judgements, drawing on recent work in social, personality, and evolutionary psychology, reviewing the factors that influence the moral judgments people make. Why do reasonable people so often disagree when drawing distinctions between what is morally right and wrong? Even when individuals agree in their moral pronouncements, they may employ different standards, different comparative processes, or entirely disparate criteria in their judgments. Examining the sources of this variety, the author expertly explores morality using ethics position theory, alongside other theoretical perspectives in moral psychology, and shows how it can relate to contemporary social issues from abortion to premarital sex to human rights. Also featuring a chapter on applied contexts, using the theory of ethics positions to gain insights into the moral choices and actions of individuals, groups, and organizations in educational, research, political, medical, and business settings, the book offers answers that apply across individuals, communities, and cultures. Investigating the relationship between people’s personal moral philosophies and their ethical thoughts, emotions, and actions, this is fascinating reading for students and academics from psychology and philosophy and anyone interested in morality and ethics.

The Psychological Basis of Moral Judgments

The Psychological Basis of Moral Judgments
Author: John Park
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2021-07-18
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1000402223

This volume examines the psychological basis of moral judgments and asks what theories of concepts apply to moral concepts. By combining philosophical reasoning and empirical insights from the fields of moral psychology, cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, and neuroscience, it considers what mental states not only influence, but also constitute our moral concepts and judgments. On this basis, Park proposes a novel pluralistic theory of moral concepts which includes three different cognitive structures and emotions. Thus, our moral judgments are shown to be a hybrid that express both cognitive and conative states. In part through analysis of new empirical data on moral semantic intuitions, gathered via cross-cultural experimental research, Park reveals that the referents of individuals’ moral judgments and concepts vary across time, contexts, and groups. On this basis, he contends for moral relativism, where moral judgments cannot be universally true across time and location but only relative to groups. This powerfully argued text will be of interest to researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in cognitive science, moral theory, philosophy of psychology, and moral psychology more broadly. Those interested in ethics, applied social psychology, and moral development will also benefit from the volume.

Sentimental Rules

Sentimental Rules
Author: Shaun Nichols
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2004-11-04
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0195169344

Shaun Nichols' theory is that emotions play a critical role in both the psychological and the cultural underpinnings of basic moral judgement, in that the norms prohibiting the harming of others are fundamentally associated with our emotional responses to those harms.

The Emotional Construction of Morals

The Emotional Construction of Morals
Author: Jesse Prinz
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 347
Release: 2007-11-22
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 019928301X

Jesse Prinz presents a bravura argument for highly controversial claims about morality, which go to the heart of our understanding of ourselves. He argues that moral values are based on emotional responses, and that these are inculcated by culture, not hard-wired through natural selection. These two claims support a form of moral relativism.

The Oxford Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning

The Oxford Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning
Author: Keith J. Holyoak, Ph.D.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 865
Release: 2012-04-19
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0199734682

The Oxford Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning brings together the contributions of many of the leading researchers in thinking and reasoning to create the most comprehensive overview of research on thinking and reasoning that has ever been available. Each chapter includes a bit of historical perspective on the topic, and concludes with some thoughts about where the field seems to be heading.

Moral Imagination

Moral Imagination
Author: Mark Johnson
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2014-12-10
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 022622323X

Using path-breaking discoveries of cognitive science, Mark Johnson argues that humans are fundamentally imaginative moral animals, challenging the view that morality is simply a system of universal laws dictated by reason. According to the Western moral tradition, we make ethical decisions by applying universal laws to concrete situations. But Johnson shows how research in cognitive science undermines this view and reveals that imagination has an essential role in ethical deliberation. Expanding his innovative studies of human reason in Metaphors We Live By and The Body in the Mind, Johnson provides the tools for more practical, realistic, and constructive moral reflection.

The Righteous Mind

The Righteous Mind
Author: Jonathan Haidt
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 530
Release: 2013-02-12
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0307455777

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The acclaimed social psychologist challenges conventional thinking about morality, politics, and religion in a way that speaks to conservatives and liberals alike—a “landmark contribution to humanity’s understanding of itself” (The New York Times Book Review). Drawing on his twenty-five years of groundbreaking research on moral psychology, Jonathan Haidt shows how moral judgments arise not from reason but from gut feelings. He shows why liberals, conservatives, and libertarians have such different intuitions about right and wrong, and he shows why each side is actually right about many of its central concerns. In this subtle yet accessible book, Haidt gives you the key to understanding the miracle of human cooperation, as well as the curse of our eternal divisions and conflicts. If you’re ready to trade in anger for understanding, read The Righteous Mind.

Moral Thinking, Fast and Slow

Moral Thinking, Fast and Slow
Author: Hanno Sauer
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019
Genre: Cognition
ISBN: 9781138205147

This book presents a new theory of the philosophy and cognitive science of moral judgment. Hanno Sauer defends an account of 'triple-process' moral psychology, arguing that moral thinking and reasoning are insufficiently understood when described in terms of a twin-track quick but intuitive and slow but rational type of cognition.

Atlas of Moral Psychology

Atlas of Moral Psychology
Author: Kurt Gray
Publisher: Guilford Publications
Total Pages: 607
Release: 2018-01-23
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1462532586

This comprehensive and cutting-edge volume maps out the terrain of moral psychology, a dynamic and evolving area of research. In 57 concise chapters, leading authorities and up-and-coming scholars explore fundamental issues and current controversies. The volume systematically reviews the empirical evidence base and presents influential theories of moral judgment and behavior. It is organized around the key questions that must be addressed for a complete understanding of the moral mind.