A Psychological Perspective on Folk Moral Objectivism

✍ Scribed by Jennifer Cole Wright

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 181
• Series: Advances in Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

A Psychological Perspective on Folk Moral Objectivism is a thoroughly researched interdisciplinary exploration of the critical role metaethical beliefs play in the way morality functions.

Whether people are "moral objectivists" or not is something that deserves much more empirical attention than it has thus far received, not only because it bears upon philosophical claims but also because it is a critical piece of the puzzle of human morality. This book aims to facilitate incorporating the study of metaethical beliefs into existing research programs by providing a roadmap through the theoretical and empirical landscape as it currently exists and evaluating the methodological approaches used thus far. In doing so, it summarizes the key findings―both in terms of metaethical beliefs and their correlates, causes, and consequences―that have emerged, and explores the value of this area of study for anyone interested in the development, function, causes, and/or consequences of morality.

A Psychological Perspective on Folk Moral Objectivism offers a helpful guide to social scientists interested in joining this thriving new area of research. It is a valuable resource for upper level undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers in moral psychology, theoretical psychology, experimental philosophy, metaethics, and philosophy of the mind.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Series Page
References
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Acknowledgments
Part I: Studying Metaethical Objectivism—Why, What, and How?
1. Introduction
Enter Metaethics
Approach to Volume
Notes
2. Setting the Stage
What Should We Measure?
Types of Content
Metaethics: Is It Truth-Apt, Objective, and/or Universal?
Domain Classification: Is It Moral?
Types of Mental States: Beliefs, Attitudes, Values, etc.
Types of Processes
Correlates, Causes, and Consequences
How Should We Measure Them?
Direct vs. Indirect
Explicit vs. Implicit
Correlational vs. Causal
General Methodological Concerns
Operational Definitions
Validity
Reliability
Power
Concluding Remarks
Notes
Part II: Methodological Strategies and Challenges—A Review
3. Is It Moral? Measuring Domain Classification
Social Domain Classification
Direct Measurement
No Definition
Minimal Definitions
More Substantive Definitions
Indirect Measurement
Other Classification Strategies
Concluding Remarks
Notes
4. Is It Truth-Apt? Measuring Cognitivism vs. Non-Cognitivism
Direct Measurement
No Definition
Minimal Definitions
More Substantive Definitions
Instructions and Training
Instructions
Training Exercise
Other Examples
Metaphor Example
Comparison Example
Indirect Measurement
Other Considerations
Concluding Remarks
Notes
5. Is It Objectively True? Measuring Objectivism Vs. Subjectivism
Direct Measurement
Pölzler and Wright (2020a)
Theory Example
Metaphor Example
Comparison Example
Fisher et al. (2017)
Davis (2021)
Indirect Measurement
Disagreement Tasks
Nichols (2004)
Goodwin and Darley (2008, 2012)
Wright et al. (2013, 2014)
Beebe (2014), Beebe et al. (2015), and Beebe and Sackris (2016)
Fisher et al. (2017)
Rose and Nichols (2019)
Discrimination
Euthanasia
Viciana et al. (2019)
Sarkissian et al. (2011)
Sousa et al. (2021)
Yilmaz and Bahçekapili (2015, 2018)
Wright (2018)
Pölzler and Wright (2020a)
Wright and Pölzler (2021)
Ayars and Nichols (2020)
Beauty
Moral
Scientific Fact
Anomalous Condition
Non-Anomalous Condition
Developmental Studies of Moral Disagreement
Wainryb et al. (2004)
Krettenaeur (2004)
Heiphetz and Young (2017)
Schmidt et al. (2017)
Psychometric Scales
Forsyth (1980)
Idealism
Relativism
Yilmaz and Bahçekapili (2015)
Subjectivism
Objectivism
Sarkissian and Phelan (2019)
Collier-Spruel et al. (2019)
Zijlstra (2019)
Relativism
Universalism
Absolutism
Divine Command Theory
No Truth (discussed in Chapter 4)
Other Implicit Measurement Strategies
Implicit Attitudes Test
Explicit Association and Neuroimaging
Theriault et al. (2017)
Facts
Morals
Preferences
Theriault et al. (2020)
Facts
Moral
Preference
Jokes and Counterfactuals
Joke Test
Phenomenology of Disagreement Test
Counterfactual Test
Measures of Moral Progress, Knowledge, and Errors
Experimental Manipulation
Rai and Holyoak (2013)
Subjectivism
Objectivism
Yilmaz and Bahçekapili (2015)
Objectivism
Subjectivism
Concluding Remarks
Notes
6. Is It Universally True? Measuring Universalism vs. Relativism
Direct Measurement
Wright (2018)
Indirect Measurement
Quintelier et al. (2013)
Scenario 1: Agent-Discordant Moral Judgment Scenario
Scenario 2: Agent-Concordant Moral Judgment Scenario
Scenario 3: Agent-Discordant, Appraiser-Concordant Truth Scenario
Scenario 4: Agent-Concordant, Appraiser-Discordant Truth Scenario
Psychometric Scales
Forsyth (1980)
Sarkissian and Phelan (2019)
Collier-Spruel et al. (2019)
Zijlstra (2019)
Experimental Manipulation
Rose and Nichols (2019)
Sarkissian and Phelan (2019)
Relativism Condition
Universalism Condition
Rai and Holyoak (2013)
Universalism
Relativism
Young and Durwin (2013)
Universalism/Absolutism
Relativism
Concluding Remarks
Part III: Are the Folk Moral Objectivists? What We Know and Why It Matters
7. Variability in Metaethical Beliefs—Metaethical Pluralism?
Variability Between People—i.e., Individual Differences
Variability Between Moral Stimuli
Variability Between Contexts
Variability Within People—i.e., Metaethical Pluralism
Concluding Remarks
8. Correlates, Causes, and Consequences
Attitudinal and Behavioral Intolerance
Psychometric Scales
Punishment
Perceived Consensus Vs. Disagreement
Experimental Manipulation
Connection to Intolerance
Beliefs about God and Religiosity
Goodwin and Darley (2008)
Yilmaz and Bahçekapili (2015)
Sarkissian and Phelan (2019)
Moral and Immoral Behaviors
Mind-Sets: Competition, Conviction, and Threat
Demographics
Concluding Remarks
9. Broader Implications
Moral Development
Social Domain Theory vs. Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development
Four-Component Model of Moral Development
Moral Self and Identity Development
Social vs. Moral—Inter- and Intragroup Conflict
Moral Cognition
Deontic vs. Consequentialist Judgments
Moral Conviction
Moral Foundation Theory
Moral Disengagement
Moral Hypocrisy
Self-Control and Choice
Moral Contagion
Social and Political Discourse
Panic and Protest
Moral Grandstanding and Virtue Signaling
Social Dominance and Authoritarianism
Political Discourse and Partisanship
Allyship and Collective Action
In-group vs. out-group
Moral Communities: Circles of Concern
Religious Communities
Moral Tribalism
Value-Based and Moral Essentialism
Tolerance and Multiculturalism
Moral Conflict
Conflict and Reconciliation
Intergroup
Intragroup
Dehumanization
Leadership
Concluding Remarks
References
Index