Models of morality

2013/07/08 by Molly J. Crockett · 5 citations
Neuroscience · Social Sciences · Psychology · #Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies #Consequentialism #Morality #Psychology #Deontological ethics #Cognitive science #Epistemology #Social psychology #Philosophy

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2013.06.005

openalex publication_date 2013/07/08 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Moral dilemmas engender conflicts between two traditions: consequentialism, which evaluates actions based on their outcomes, and deontology, which evaluates actions themselves. These strikingly resemble two distinct decision-making architectures: a model-based system that selects actions based on inferences about their consequences; and a model-free system that selects actions based on their reinforcement history. Here, I consider how these systems, along with a Pavlovian system that responds reflexively to rewards and punishments, can illuminate puzzles in moral psychology.

Citations

• A cognitive developmental approach to morality: investigating the psychopath

Cited by

• Learning a commonsense moral theory
• Harm to others outweighs harm to self in moral decision making
• Searching for Moral Dumbfounding: Identifying Measurable Indicators of Moral Dumbfounding
• Reasons or rationalizations: The role of principles in the moral dumbfounding paradigm
• Moral psychology [wikipedia]