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Moral Intuitions

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Which sentence is grammatical?

(answer fast)

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Example: linguistic intuitions.
Which of these is a grammatical sentence?

[1] Many more people have been to Paris than I have.

[2] Many more Paris than have to been people I have.

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Which box has more?

(answer fast)

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Example: mathematical intuitions.
Which box contains more dots?
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intuition

A claim you take to be true independently of whether it is justified inferentially

- linguistic ✓

- mathematical ✓

- moral ??

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right or wrong?

(answer fast)

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Right or wrong?
Suppose I ask you, is it ok to club a baby seal to death? I guess many people will say no right off.
[source: https://www.oceansentry.org/canadas-dfo-just-announced-seal-hunt-begin-monday-april-9/]
[url: https://www.oceansentry.org/wp-content/cache/thumbnails/2018/04/yellowjacketsealerclubbing121k-660x330-c.jpg]
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right or wrong?

(answer fast)

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How about torturing a kitten, or another pet?
Let’s say you torture them one day but are extra nice the next day. Is that ok?
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right or wrong?

(answer fast)

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Haidt’s chicken. (This one is a bit gross.)

moral intuition

A claim you take to be true independently of whether it is justified inferentially

concerning ethical matters.

Sinnott-Armstrong et al (2010), ‘Moral Intuitions’ in Doris et al (ed)

Key source, also reading for your first seminar.

significance of moral intuitions

philosophy

1. intuitionism

‘Intuition is a resource in all of philosophy, but perhaps nowhere more than in ethics’ (p. 57).

‘intuitions [...] can serve as data [...] ... beliefs that derive from them receive prima facie justification.’ (Audi, 2015, p. 65)

2. reflective equilibrium

‘Reflective equilibrium is the dominant method in moral and political philosophy’

(Knight, 2023)

everyday life

speed–accuracy trade-offs

intuitionism is
Audi is an example of intuitionism.
reflective equilibrium—widely regarded as the method by which ethics is done; relies on intuitions (although there is debate about the precise role intuitions play, including both coherence and foundational interpretations).
Scientifically, moral intuitions are interesting because of a fundamental feature of all cognition and action, namely speed–accuracy trade-offs. In general, the faster you must respond (or the less energy you can devote to responding), the less accurate you are likely to be (Heitz, 2014). Since humans, like all animals, often stand to gain more from responding faster, and since they have historically had limited resources of energy, it is often advantageous for them to trade away accuracy in order to gain speed. Moral intuitions are important because they enable faster responses.
When designing humans, you therefore want to give them the absolutely tiniest brains you can. The brain is just such an expensive, extravagant piece of kit that even a small reduction in its mass could improve your survival chances.
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Moral psychology is the study of psychological aspects of ethical abilities.

Part I: What ethical abilities do humans have? What states and processes underpin them?

Where do moral intuitions come from in humans’ evolutionary history?

What processes enable humans to have moral intuitions?

To what extent, if any, are moral intuitions culturally variable?

Are moral intuitions reliable?

...

How, if at all, do emotions influence moral intuitions?