1. Intuitive vs Rational moral decision making
1.1. A. Sentimentalist Approach (Haidt)
1.1.1. Moral decisions come from emotions and institutions (not reasoning)
1.1.2. People often justify moral beliefs after making a decision
1.1.3. Examples: Disgust = stronger moral condemnation
1.2. B. Social intuitionist model (Haidt)
1.2.1. Moral judgments are automatic and emotion-driven
1.2.2. Cultural and social influences shape our moral intuitions
2. Personal vs impersonal moral dilemmas
2.1. Joshua Greene's research:
2.1.1. Personal dilemmas = emotionally intense (e.g. pushing someone off a bridge to save others)
2.1.2. impersonal dilemmas = logical, less emotional (e.g. pulling a switch to divert a train)
2.2. People reject personal moral violations but accept impersonal ones
3. Moral schools of thought
3.1. A. Deontology (immanuel Kant)
3.1.1. Moral rules must always be followed, regardless of consequences
3.1.2. Example: lying is always wrong, even to save a life
3.2. B. Utilitarianism (Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill)
3.2.1. Greatest good for the greatest number
3.2.2. Example: Sacrificing one person to save five
4. Dual-process theory (Greene)
4.1. Two types of moral thinking:
4.1.1. Emotional-driven -> Deontological (e.g., do not kill)
4.1.2. Controlled cognition -> Utilitarian (e.g. sacrifice for greater good
4.2. People default to emotional deontological responses unless forced to think critically
5. Neuroscience and moral decision-making
5.1. Terbeck (2013): Propranolol (beta-blocker) reduces emotional response -> increases utilitarian decisions
5.2. Wheatley and Haidt (2005): Disgust amplifies moral severity
5.3. Carlson (1988): positive mood = more pro-social behaviour
5.4. Scher (1997): Anger and Sadness = increased perception of injustice
6. Moral emotions
6.1. Guilt
6.2. Contempt
6.3. Shame
6.4. Disgust
6.5. Pride
6.6. Grattitude
6.7. Pham (2007) -> Guilt prevents immoral behaviour
7. Changing Morality
7.1. Law
7.1.1. Enforces societal morality
7.2. Moral education
7.2.1. Learning right from wrong in:
7.2.1.1. Family
7.2.1.2. Schools
7.2.1.3. Culture and media
7.2.2. Moral education = Moral development through empathy and reasoning
8. Social psychology and morality
8.1. Morality is influenced by social situations
8.2. Challenges in studying social psychology:
8.2.1. People act differently when observed
8.2.2. Confounding variables in real-world behaviour
9. Moral Judgment
9.1. Definition: decisions about what is right and wrong based on ethical principles.
9.2. Examples:
9.2.1. Murder and Crimes -> universally condemned as immoral
9.2.2. White lies -> situationally judged; may prevent harm or deceive
9.2.3. War -> just war theory vs pacifism; is war ever justifiable?
9.2.4. Political judgments -> policies on taxation, immigration, and justice reflect moral perspectives.
10. Normative ethics
10.1. Definition: The study of moral standards - what makes actions right or wrong
10.2. Key questions:
10.2.1. What is good or bad?
10.2.2. What obligations do we have towards others?
10.2.3. What actions are permissable or impermissible?
10.3. Major theories:
10.3.1. Consequentialism (outcome-focused)
10.3.1.1. how people evaluate actions based on their outcomes rather than intentions or rules. It studies cognitive processes behind moral judgments, like utilitarian reasoning, where the focus is on maximising overall well-being.
10.3.2. Deontology (duty-focused)
10.3.2.1. how people make moral decisions based on rules, duties, and principles rather than consequences. It examines cognitive processes behind obligation-based judgments, such as prioritizing moral absolutes (e.g., "never lie") over outcomes.
10.3.3. Virtue ethics (character-focused)
10.3.3.1. focuses on how character traits and moral virtues (like honesty or courage) shape moral decision-making. It studies how people develop moral character and make ethical choices based on virtues rather than rules or consequences.
11. Moral psychology
11.1. Definition: the study of human thought and behaviour in moral contexts
11.2. - Investigates why people make moral moral decisions
11.3. - Explores how emotions, culture, and reasoning shape morality
12. Moral vs Conventional transgressions
12.1. Moral transgression (universally wrong, causes harm)
12.1.1. Examples: Stealing, murder, lying, harming others
12.2. Conventional Transgression (violates social norms, but no harm)
12.2.1. Examples: Talking out of turn, dress code violations
12.3. Children can differentiate between the two early in life
13. Kohlbergs cognitive approach
13.1. Moral development occurs in stages through reasoning
13.2. Children learn moral rules; they are not innate
13.3. Kohlberg six stages:
13.3.1. Pre-conventional (self-interest, avoiding punishment)
13.3.2. Conventional (conforming to social norms, seeking approval
13.3.3. Post-conventional (universal ethical principles)
14. Moral foundations theory (Haidt)
14.1. 5 Universal moral values:
14.1.1. Harm/care - protecting others (empathy, kindness)
14.1.2. Fairness/reciprocity - Justice, equal treatment
14.1.3. Loyalty/Betrayal - Group allegiance
14.1.4. Authority/respect - Following hierarchy and rules
14.1.5. Sanctity/degradation - Moral purity, disgust reactions
14.2. These emerge through gut intuition
15. Punishment and Justice
15.1. Retribution
15.1.1. "An eye for an eye"
15.2. Incapacitation
15.2.1. Removing criminals from society
15.3. Deterrence
15.3.1. Fear of punishment prevents crime
15.4. Rehabilitation
15.4.1. Helping offenders reintegrate into society
15.5. Restorative justice
15.5.1. Offenders make reparations to victim
16. Research methods in moral psychology
16.1. A. Traditional research methods
16.1.1. Self-reports (biased by social desirability)
16.1.2. Lab studies (low ecological validity)
16.2. B. Social Neuroscience
16.2.1. EEG, fMRI, Psychopharmacy
16.2.1.1. Studying brain responses
16.2.2. Problems:
16.2.2.1. Different interpretations of brain data
16.2.2.2. Needs simple experimental designs
16.3. C. Immersive virtual reality (VR)
16.3.1. Stimulates real-life moral dilemmas
16.3.2. Measures:
16.3.2.1. Heart rate
16.3.2.2. Guilt
16.3.2.3. Emotional reactions
16.3.3. More realistic than lab studies, but still limited
17. Immersive virtual reality and mortality
17.1. Benefits
17.1.1. Realistic moral decision making
17.1.2. Tracks physiological responses (heart rate, skin conductance
17.2. Challenges
17.2.1. Ethical concerns
17.2.2. High costs and technical limitations