Morality

About: Morality is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 22623 publications have been published within this topic receiving 545733 citations. The topic is also known as: moral & morals.

After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory

Abstract: Prologue to the Third Edition \ Preface \ 1. A Disquieting Suggestion \ 2. The Nature of Moral Agreement Today and the Claims of Emotivism \ 3. Emotivism: Social Content and Social Context \ 4. The Predecessor Culture and the Enlightenment Project of Justifying Morality \ 5. Why the Enlightenment Project of Justifying Morality Had to Fail \ 6. Some Consequences of the Failure of the Enlightenment Project \ 7. 'Fact', Explanation and Expertise \ 8. The Character of Generalizations in Social Science and their Lack of Predictive Power \ 9. Nietzsche or Aristotle? \ 10. The Virtues in Heroic Societies \ 11. The Virtues at Athens \ 12. Aristotle's Account of the Virtues \ 13. Medieval Aspects and Occasions \ 14. The Nature of the Virtues \ 15. The Virtues, The Unity of a Human Life and the Concept of a Tradition \ 16. From the Virtues to Virtue and After Virtue \ 17. Justice as a Virtue: Changing Conceptions \ 18. After Virtue: Nietzsche or Aristotle, Trotsky and St Benedict \ 19. Postscript \ Bibliography \ Index.

Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model

Abstract: Existing theoretical models of individual ethical decision making in organizations place little or no emphasis on characteristics of the ethical issue itself. This article (a) proposes an issue-contingent model containing a new set of variables called moral intensity; (b) using concepts, theory, and evidence derived largely from social psychology, argues that moral intensity influences every component of moral decision making and behavior; (c) offers four research propositions: and (d) discusses implications of the theory.

Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations

Abstract: How and why do moral judgments vary across the political spectrum? To test moral foundations theory (J. Haidt & J. Graham, 2007; J. Haidt & C. Joseph, 2004), the authors developed several ways to measure people's use of 5 sets of moral intuitions: Harm/care, Fairness/reciprocity, Ingroup/loyalty, Authority/respect, and Purity/sanctity. Across 4 studies using multiple methods, liberals consistently showed greater endorsement and use of the Harm/care and Fairness/reciprocity foundations compared to the other 3 foundations, whereas conservatives endorsed and used the 5 foundations more equally. This difference was observed in abstract assessments of the moral relevance of foundation-related concerns such as violence or loyalty (Study 1), moral judgments of statements and scenarios (Study 2), "sacredness" reactions to taboo trade-offs (Study 3), and use of foundation-related words in the moral texts of religious sermons (Study 4). These findings help to illuminate the nature and intractability of moral disagreements in the American "culture war."

Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals

Abstract: Immanuel Kant's "Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals" is one of the most important texts in the history of ethics. In it Kant searches for the supreme principle of morality and argues for a conception of the moral life that has made this work a continuing source of controversy and an object of reinterpretation for over two centuries. This new edition of Kant's work provides a translation that seeks to be faithful to the German original and is fully annotated. There are also four essays by well-known scholars that discuss Kant's views and the philosophical issues raised by his work. J.B. Schneewind defends the continuing interest in Kantian ethics by examining its historical relation both to the ethical thought that preceded it and to its influence on the ethical theories that came after it; Marcia Baron sheds light on Kant's famous views about moral motivation; and Shelly Kagan and Allen W. Wood advocate contrasting interpretations of Kantian ethics and its practical implications.

Moral Disengagement in the Perpetration of Inhumanities

Abstract: Moral agency is manifested in both the power to refrain from behaving inhumanely and the proactive power to behave humanely. Moral agency is embedded in a broader sociocognitive self theory encompassing self-organizing, proactive, self-reflective, and self-regulatory mechanisms rooted in personal standards linked to self-sanctions. The self-regulatory mechanisms governing moral conduct do not come into play unless they are activated, and there are many psychosocial maneuvers by which moral self-sanctions are selectively disengaged from inhumane conduct. The moral disengagement may center on the cognitive restructuring of inhumane conduct into a benign or worthy one by moral justification, sanitizing language, and advantageous comparison; disavowal of a sense of personal agency by diffusion or displacement of responsibility; disregarding or minimizing the injurious effects of one's actions; and attribution of blame to, and dehumanization of, those who are victimized. Many inhumanities operate through a supportive network of legitimate enterprises run by otherwise considerate people who contribute to destructive activities by disconnected subdivision of functions and diffusion of responsibility. Given the many mechanisms for disengaging moral control, civilized life requires, in addition to humane personal standards, safeguards built into social systems that uphold compassionate behavior and renounce cruelty.