CPSY620 - 10/15
Introduction to Unit Two
The instructor expresses excitement about the start of unit two, which connects to their research interests.
Unit two content will cover:
Moral developmental theories.
Learning Goals for the Unit:
Define and compare different approaches to defining morality.
Analyze theoretical perspectives on adult moral reasoning.
Explain and evaluate foundational theories of moral development.
Philosophical Foundations of Morality
A brief philosophical background will be provided to set the stage for moral judgments.
Discussion of key moral theories:
Utilitarianism/Consequentialism: Developed by Jeremy Bentham, and later refined by John Stuart Mill, it states that the right action is the one that produces the greatest happiness or utility for the largest number of people. Consequences are paramount in determining morality; the intention or action itself is considered irrelevant if the outcome produces the desired happiness or minimizes suffering.
Deontology: From Immanuel Kant, primarily elaborated in his work Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, it stresses the importance of moral rules and duties, suggesting moral actions should be evaluated based on the inherent rightness of the action itself, independent of its outcomes. A moral action is determined by adherence to universalizable intentions and principles, often expressed as categorical imperatives.
Example of moral dilemmas like lying to protect a Jewish person during Nazi Germany highlights the contrast between utilitarianism (lying could save lives) and deontology (lying is intrinsically wrong).
Virtue Ethics: Originating in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly with Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, it focuses on character traits that define moral individuals (e.g., honesty, courage, compassion). The moral action is what a virtuous person would do, emphasizing character development and the cultivation of good habits over specific rules or outcomes.
Ethical Story Reference
Recommended reading: "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," a powerful short story by Ursula K. Le Guin. This narrative serves as a compelling thought experiment, illustrating the fundamental tension between utilitarian and deontological ethics. It portrays a perfectly happy and prosperous society, Omelas, whose continued existence and joy are contingent upon the perpetual misery and neglect of a single child. The story forces readers to confront the moral justification of collective happiness built upon individual suffering, prompting questions about whether such a societal structure can truly be considered moral under strict deontological principles, even if it maximizes overall utility.
Psychological Approaches to Morality
Overview of two psychological frameworks for understanding morality:
Professor Paul Bloom's perspective, as often discussed in his lectures and writings (e.g., Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil), likens understanding morality to recognizing pornography: "I know it when I see it." This suggests an intuitive, immediate grasp of moral issues that resonates universally across societies, rather than being solely defined by complex, conscious moral reasoning. He argues for innate moral foundations.
Adendahl proposes defining morality as fundamentally rooted in concerns for others' welfare, rights, fairness, and justice. This perspective emphasizes that genuine moral judgment transcends mere societal beliefs, instead focusing on these core elements as intrinsic drivers of what determines right and wrong actions. It suggests that morality is not just about what a society deems acceptable, but about universal principles of care and equitable treatment for individuals.
Naturalistic Fallacy Consideration
Naturalistic Fallacy: A critical misconception in moral philosophy and psychology, first identified by G.E. Moore in his Principia Ethica. It is erroneous to assume that what is observed or "natural" automatically equates to being morally good or right (i.e., deriving 'ought' from 'is'). Just because something occurs in nature, such as aggression or competition, doesn’t mean it should be morally endorsed or considered ethically justifiable.
Importance for psychologists: This fallacy underscores the necessity for psychologists to rigorously separate empirical findings and observations of human behavior from moral conclusions. It’s crucial that researchers study moral beliefs and behaviors descriptively without inadvertently endorsing them as inherently right or wrong, or prescribing them as moral duties, without further ethical examination and justification.
Overview of Adult Moral Psychology Theories
To understand moral development, some key adult social psychological theories discussed are:
Dual Process Model of Morality: Proposed by doctors Josh Greene and Fiery Cushman, and extensively developed by Greene in works like Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them, this model distinguishes between two fundamental systems of moral judgment:
Emotional and automatic (often linked to deontological ethics): These are quick, intuitive judgments driven by immediate feelings, particularly strong aversion to direct harm. This system operates rapidly, much like a gut reaction.
Rational and controlled (often linked to utilitarian ethics): This system involves deliberate, effortful reasoning that carefully evaluates the costs and benefits of actions, particularly in terms of outcomes and numerical consequences. It is slower and more analytical.
Trolley Dilemma: The classic 'Trolley Dilemma' and its variations (e.g., footbridge dilemma) are moral scenarios used extensively in this field to empirically test and illustrate differing emotional and rational responses to ethical predicaments. They explore moral reasoning when faced with a choice between saving one person by sacrificing another, or saving many people by sacrificing one, highlighting the tension between intuitive prohibitions against harm and calculated utilitarian outcomes.
Social Intuitionist Model (Haidt): Developed by Jonathan Haidt, particularly explicated in his book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, this model radically emphasizes that moral judgments primarily arise from rapid, intuitive, emotional responses rather than from slow, rational deliberation. According to Haidt, rational thinking often follows a gut instinct, functioning as a "post-hoc justification" or a lawyer defending an already made decision, rather than as the initial driver of moral conviction.
Moral Foundations Theory: Also developed by Jonathan Haidt, in collaboration with Jesse Graham and Craig Joseph, as a refinement and extension of the Social Intuitionist Model. It posits that morality is rooted in several innate, universal 'foundations' or 'taste buds' of the moral mind. These foundations are evolutionarily significant psychological mechanisms that predispose individuals to care about certain moral issues, with cultural and individual differences affecting which foundations are prioritized. The theory currently discusses six main foundations: Care/Harm, Fairness/Cheating, Loyalty/Betrayal, Authority/Subversion, Sanctity/Degradation, and Liberty/Oppression. It suggests these foundations help explain cross-cultural variation and political differences in moral judgments.
Dyadic Morality: Proposed by Kurt Gray and Daniel Wegner, this theory focuses fundamentally on the role of perceived harm in moral judgments. It posits that all moral phenomena, even those seemingly abstract, psychologically arise from recognizing a 'dyad' of a victim and a perpetrator, identifying agents who cause harm and those who suffer it. Even in cases lacking clear physical harm (e.g., 'harmless taboo violations'), the model suggests people implicitly infer a victim or an act of harm to categorize an event as moral or immoral. Critiques include potential limitations in necessarily defining all moral issues through the lens of harm and victimization, and whether it fully accounts for moral principles that extend beyond direct interpersonal harm.
Critical Engagement with Theories
Discussion and analysis of key moral philosophies and psychological models serve as a foundation to explore more sophisticated moral developmental theories that will be covered in future classes.
The interplay of moral philosophy and psychology offers a rich framework for understanding complex moral questions faced in society. This leads into further exploration of how moral understanding evolves from childhood through adulthood and the various influences on moral development.
Conclusion and Next Class
The next session will continue exploring moral development theories and integrate learned concepts into discussions of psychosocial factors at play in moral reasoning.