Moral Contract Theory and Social Cognition

Moral Contract Theory and Social Cognition PDF Author: Peter Timmerman
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3319042629
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
This interdisciplinary work draws on research from psychology and behavioral economics to evaluate the plausibility of moral contract theory. In a compelling manner with implications for moral theory more broadly, the author’s novel approach resolves a number of key contingencies in contractarianism and contractualism. Acting in accordance with principles that we could all agree to under certain conditions requires that agents are capable of taking up the perspectives of others. Research in social and developmental psychology shows just how challenging this can be. The author discusses in detail what implications findings on perspective-taking have for contract theory. He concludes with cautious optimism that, despite our limitations, it lies within our power to become better at perspective-taking and to adopt a contractarian or contractualist mode of moral thinking. This does however require us to be much more attentive to the standpoints of others than we tend to be. Contract theorists also assume that agents can be moved to comply with principles that would be the object of agreement, with some arguing they can be so moved out of their own interest. The book show that, in contrast to the suspicion of many philosophers, this idea is largely supported by research on the dynamics of trust and our ability to distinguish trustworthy from untrustworthy others. Bringing a welcome dose of realism to the debate on contract theory, the author shows the value of assessing moral theories from an empirical perspective.

Moral Contract Theory and Social Cognition

Moral Contract Theory and Social Cognition PDF Author: Peter Timmerman
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3319042629
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 233

Get Book Here

Book Description
This interdisciplinary work draws on research from psychology and behavioral economics to evaluate the plausibility of moral contract theory. In a compelling manner with implications for moral theory more broadly, the author’s novel approach resolves a number of key contingencies in contractarianism and contractualism. Acting in accordance with principles that we could all agree to under certain conditions requires that agents are capable of taking up the perspectives of others. Research in social and developmental psychology shows just how challenging this can be. The author discusses in detail what implications findings on perspective-taking have for contract theory. He concludes with cautious optimism that, despite our limitations, it lies within our power to become better at perspective-taking and to adopt a contractarian or contractualist mode of moral thinking. This does however require us to be much more attentive to the standpoints of others than we tend to be. Contract theorists also assume that agents can be moved to comply with principles that would be the object of agreement, with some arguing they can be so moved out of their own interest. The book show that, in contrast to the suspicion of many philosophers, this idea is largely supported by research on the dynamics of trust and our ability to distinguish trustworthy from untrustworthy others. Bringing a welcome dose of realism to the debate on contract theory, the author shows the value of assessing moral theories from an empirical perspective.

Moral Contract Theory and Social Cognition

Moral Contract Theory and Social Cognition PDF Author: Peter Timmerman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783319042633
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description


An Integrative Model of Moral Deliberation

An Integrative Model of Moral Deliberation PDF Author: J. Jeffrey Tillman
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137490225
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
An Integrative Model of Moral Deliberation maintains that current models of moral deliberation do not effectively deal with contemporary moral complexity because they are based on an inadequate theory of moral cognition. Drawing on research in neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, social theory, and dual process cognitive theory and on the work of William James, this book develops a theory of moral cognition which provides a major role for aesthetic sensibilities and upon this theory develops a robust model of moral deliberation. This model portrays moral deliberation as a back and forth movement between intuitive and analytic cognitions, which constructs narrative scenarios and then assesses and revises them according to aesthetic sensibilities.

Minimal Morality

Minimal Morality PDF Author: Michael Moehler
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019108901X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Michael Moehler develops a novel multilevel social contract theory. In contrast to existing theories in the liberal tradition, it does not merely assume a restricted form of reasonable moral pluralism, but is tailored to the conditions of deeply morally pluralistic societies which may be populated by liberal moral agents, nonliberal moral agents, and, according to the traditional understanding of morality, nonmoral agents alike. Moehler draws on the history of the social contract tradition, especially the work of Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Rawls, and Gauthier, as well as on the work of some of the critics of this tradition, such as Sen and Gaus. Moehler's two-level contractarian theory holds that morality in its best contractarian version for the conditions of deeply morally pluralistic societies entails Humean, Hobbesian, and Kantian moral features. The theory defines the minimal behavioral restrictions that are necessary to ensure, compared to violent conflict resolution, mutually beneficial peaceful long-term cooperation in deeply morally pluralistic societies. The theory minimizes the problem of compliance in morally diverse societies by maximally respecting the interests of all members of society. Despite its ideal nature, the theory is, in principle, applicable to the real world and, for the conditions described, most promising for securing mutually beneficial peaceful long-term cooperation in a world in which a fully just society, due to moral diversity, is unattainable. If Rawls' intention was to carry the traditional social contract argument to a higher level of abstraction, then the two-level contractarian theory brings it back down to earth.

Minimal Morality

Minimal Morality PDF Author: Michael Moehler
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198785925
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Michael Moehler develops a novel multilevel social contract theory tailored to the conditions of societies that are deeply morally pluralistic. Such societies must cope with a variety of values and traditions: Moehler defines the minimal behavioral restrictions that are necessary to ensure mutually beneficial peaceful long-term cooperation.

The Relationship Between Social Cognition and Moral Reasoning

The Relationship Between Social Cognition and Moral Reasoning PDF Author: Kevin Thomas Uttich
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 198

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Book Description
What is the best way to think about the relationship between Social Cognition and Moral Reasoning? Past psychological research has treated the relationship between the two as one-way with descriptive information from social-cognitive capacities impacting normative moral judgments. However, some resent findings have challenged this account. Across three sets of studies this dissertation examines these challenges, and asks whether the relationship between Social Cognition and Moral Reasoning is best understood as bi-directional. Further, two sub questions are investigated; would a bi- directional relationship require a drastic revision of our understanding of social cognition and does the influence of norm information depend on the type of norm involved? The first set of studies examines the influence of norms on Theory of Mind judgments. Theory of Mind, the capacity to understand and ascribe mental states, has traditionally been conceptualized as analogous to a scientific theory. However, recent work in philosophy and psychology has documented a "side-effect effect" suggesting that moral evaluations influence mental state ascriptions, and in particular whether a behavior is described as having been performed 'intentionally.' This evidence challenges the idea that theory of mind is analogous to scientific psychology in serving the function of predicting and explaining, rather than evaluating, behavior. In three experiments, we demonstrate that moral evaluations do inform ascriptions of intentional action, but that this relationship arises because behavior that conforms to norms (moral or otherwise) is less informative about underlying mental states than is behavior that violates norms. This analysis preserves the traditional understanding of theory of mind as a tool for predicting and explaining behavior, but also suggests the importance of normative considerations in social cognition. The second set of studies looks at the use of norms in explanation. In explaining behavior, people often refer to mental states such as beliefs or desires. But in some cases, behavior can also be explained by direct appeal to norms, moral or otherwise (e.g., "she returned the wallet because it was the right thing to do"). We investigate whether and when norm explanations are accepted (Experiment 1) and produced (Experiment 2) to better understand the relationship between norms and mental states in explaining behavior. In particular, do norm explanations assume particular mediating mental states, like the agent's knowledge of the norm? We find that participants frequently accept and produce norm explanations for behavior when the behavior matches the norm, even when the agent's belief about the norm is incorrect. The findings contribute to a growing body of work suggesting that mental state inferences and reasoning are not detailed and automatic, but instead remain relatively underspecified for the purposes of many everyday judgments. Finally, the third set of studies investigates whether people accept "ethical explanations," explanations that cite moral norms (and not merely people's beliefs about moral norms) to account for social-historical changes, such as the abolition of slavery or the extension of voting rights to women. An ethical explanation for women's suffrage, for example, might cite the injustice of withholding the right to vote on the basis of sex. Such explanations pose a challenge to dominant accounts of explanation, which propose that explanations cite causes or descriptive generalizations. In two experiments, we find evidence that people do accept and provide ethical explanations, and that variation in ratings and production of these explanations is correlated with two separate types of meta-ethical commitments: belief in moral objectivism and in moral progress. These results suggest that some people accept ethical explanations because their particular meta-ethical commitments lead them to conceptualize moral norms in a way that allows them to serve as legitimate explanations. The findings also shed light on variation in moral beliefs across individuals despite reasonable consistency in moral beliefs within individuals. Taken together the results of these studies argue that the relationship between social cognition and moral understanding is indeed bi-directional. In addition to the influence the information from social cognitive judgments can have on our moral reasoning, our normative understanding can provide a source of information useful in making social-cognitive judgments. The results also indicate that a drastic revision of our understanding of social cognition is not necessary and while all norm types seem to have an influence, different norm types have unique relationships.

Handbook of Moral Development

Handbook of Moral Development PDF Author: Melanie Killen
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 1135619174
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 809

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Book Description
The psychological study of moral development has expanded greatly, both in terms of the diversity of theoretical perspectives that are represented in the field, as well as in the range of topics that have been studied. This Handbook of Moral Development represents the diversity and multidisciplinary influences on current theorizing about the psychological study of moral development and the range and broad scope of topics being considered by scholars in the field.

Grounding Social Sciences in Cognitive Sciences

Grounding Social Sciences in Cognitive Sciences PDF Author: Ron Sun
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262304473
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 467

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Book Description
Exploration of a new integrative intellectual enterprise: the cognitive social sciences. Research in the cognitive sciences has advanced significantly in recent decades. Computational cognitive modeling has profoundly changed the ways in which we understand cognition. Empirical research has progressed as well, offering new insights into many psychological phenomena. This book investigates the possibility of exploiting the successes of the cognitive sciences to establish a better foundation for the social sciences, including the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science. The result may be a new, powerful, integrative intellectual enterprise: the cognitive social sciences. The book treats a range of topics selected to capture issues that arise across the social sciences, covering computational, empirical, and theoretical approaches. The chapters, by leading scholars in both the cognitive and the social sciences, explore the relationship between cognition and society, including such issues as methodologies of studying cultural differences; the psychological basis of politics (for instance, the role of emotion and the psychology of moral choices); cognitive dimensions of religion; cognitive approaches to economics; meta-theoretical questions on the possibility of the unification of social and cognitive sciences. Combining depth and breadth, the book encourages fruitful interdisciplinary interaction across many fields.

Ecclesial Recognition with Hegelian Philosophy, Social Psychology & Continental Political Theory

Ecclesial Recognition with Hegelian Philosophy, Social Psychology & Continental Political Theory PDF Author: Timothy T.N. Lim
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004347372
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
Ecclesial Recognition proffers a framework for churches to accept the legitimacy and authenticity of each other as the Church in the dialogical process towards fuller communion. Typically, ‘recognition’ and its reception investigate theologically the sufficiency of creeds as ecumenical statements of unity, the agreeability of essential sacramentality of the church, and the recognition of its ministries as the churches’ witness of the gospel. This monograph conceives ecclesial recognition as an intersubjective dynamics of inclusion and exclusion amid identity formation and consensus development, with insights from Hegelian philosophy, group social psychology, and the Frankfurt School Axel Honneth’s political theory. The viability of this interdisciplinary approach is demonstrated from the French Dominican Yves Congar’s oeuvre, with implications for intra-Communion and inter-Church relations. "Dr Lim examines philosophical recognition theory, group social psychology and political recognition theory to analyse the non-theological impasses confronting the whole ecumenical movement." - Rev Dr Trevor Hoggard, Director English-speaking Ministries, Methodist Church of New Zealand. "Lim masterfully argues for the viability of an interdisciplinary approach to ecumenical recognition within communities, among churches, and in their common pastoral mission.” - Fr. and Professor Radu Bordeianu, Duquesne University, and Orthodox theologian, Representative of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, and Assistant Priest of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Pittsburgh. “This book makes an important contribution to ecumenical ecclesiology.” - Rev. Dr and Professor Sandra Beardsall, St Andrew’s College, Canada and United Church of Canada Ordained Minister. “I find Dr. Lim's work a solid and necessary contribution to ecumenical work around the world.” - Rev. Dr. and Professor Dominick D. Hanckle, Regent University, and priest of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. “With penetrating analysis and creative suggestions, this monograph takes the talk about ecumenical recognition in a new level.” - Professor Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, University of Helsinki.

Theology and the Science of Moral Action

Theology and the Science of Moral Action PDF Author: American Academy of Religion. Conference
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0415895790
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
The past decade has witnessed a renaissance in scientific approaches to the study of morality. Once understood to be the domain of moral psychology, the newer approach to morality is largely interdisciplinary, driven in no small part by developments in behavioural economics and evolutionary biology, as well as advances in neuroscientific imaging capabilities, among other fields. To date, scientists studying moral cognition and behaviour have paid little attention to virtue theory, while virtue theorists have yet to acknowledge the new research results emerging from the new science of morality. Theology and the Science of Moral Action explores a new approach to ethical thinking that promotes dialogue and integration between recent research in the scientific study of moral cognition and behaviour—including neuroscience, moral psychology, and behavioural economics—and virtue theoretic approaches to ethics in both philosophy and theology. More particularly, the book evaluates the concept of moral exemplarity and its significance in philosophical and theological ethics as well as for ongoing research programs in the cognitive sciences.