Does Neuroscience Undermine Deontological Theory?

被引:27
作者
Dean, Richard [1 ]
机构
[1] Calif State Univ Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90032 USA
关键词
Deontology; Consequentialism; Personal moral dilemmas; Joshua Greene; Neuroscience; Harmless wrongs; PERSONAL/IMPERSONAL DISTINCTION; MORAL JUDGMENTS; PSYCHOLOGY; INTENTION; DAMAGE;
D O I
10.1007/s12152-009-9052-x
中图分类号
B82 [伦理学(道德学)];
学科分类号
摘要
Joshua Greene has argued that several lines of empirical research, including his own fMRI studies of brain activity during moral decision-making, comprise strong evidence against the legitimacy of deontology as a moral theory. This is because, Greene maintains, the empirical studies establish that "characteristically deontological" moral thinking is driven by prepotent emotional reactions which are not a sound basis for morality in the contemporary world, while "characteristically consequentialist" thinking is a more reliable moral guide because it is characterized by greater cognitive command and control. In this essay, I argue that Greene does not succeed in drawing a strong statistical or causal connection between prepotent emotional reactions and deontological theory, and so does not undermine the legitimacy of deontological moral theories. The results that Greene relies on from neuroscience and social psychology do not establish his conclusion that consequentialism is superior to deontology.
引用
收藏
页码:43 / 60
页数:18
相关论文
共 50 条
  • [21] Pre-emption cases may support, not undermine, the counterfactual theory of causation
    Northcott, Robert
    SYNTHESE, 2021, 198 (01) : 537 - 555
  • [22] Pre-emption cases may support, not undermine, the counterfactual theory of causation
    Robert Northcott
    Synthese, 2021, 198 : 537 - 555
  • [23] Theory of Mind and Empathic Explanations of Machiavellianism: A Neuroscience Perspective
    Bagozzi, Richard P.
    Verbeke, Willem J. M. I.
    Dietvorst, Roeland C.
    Belschak, Frank D.
    van den Berg, Wouter E.
    Rietdijk, Wim J. R.
    JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT, 2013, 39 (07) : 1760 - 1798
  • [24] Narrative Theory and Neuroscience: Why Human Nature Matters
    Carroll, Joseph
    STYLE, 2023, 57 (03) : 241 - 272
  • [25] An introductory review of information theory in the context of computational neuroscience
    Mark D. McDonnell
    Shiro Ikeda
    Jonathan H. Manton
    Biological Cybernetics, 2011, 105 : 55 - 70
  • [26] A proposal on literary creativity from the Theory of Literature and Neuroscience
    Martinez-Falero, Luis
    ARCHIVUM, 2020, 70 (01): : 147 - 164
  • [27] Information Theory's Failure in Neuroscience On the Limitations of Cybernetics
    Nizami, Lance
    2014 IEEE CONFERENCE ON NORBERT WIENER IN THE 21ST CENTURY (21CW), 2014,
  • [28] An introductory review of information theory in the context of computational neuroscience
    McDonnell, Mark D.
    Ikeda, Shiro
    Manton, Jonathan H.
    BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS, 2011, 105 (01) : 55 - 70
  • [29] The Interprocessual-Self Theory in Support of Human Neuroscience Studies
    Luis, Elkin O.
    Akrivou, Kleio
    Bermejo-Martins, Elena
    Scalzo, German
    Oron, Jose Victor
    FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 2022, 12
  • [30] What does recent neuroscience tell us about criminal responsibility?
    Maoz, Uri
    Yaffe, Gideon
    JOURNAL OF LAW AND THE BIOSCIENCES, 2016, 3 (01): : 120 - 139