Do Moral Beliefs Motivate Action?

AbstractDo moral beliefs motivate action? To answer this question, extant arguments have considered hypothetical cases of association (dissociation) between agents ’ moral beliefs and actions. In this paper, I argue that this approach can be improved by studying people’s actual moral beliefs and actions using empirical research methods. I present three new studies showing that, when the stakes are high, associations between participants’ moral beliefs an d actions are actually explained by co-occurring but independent moral emotions. These findings suggest that moral beliefs themselves have little or no motivational force, supporting the Humean picture of moral motivation.

Source: Ethical Theory and Moral Practice - May 3, 2023 Category: Medical Ethics Source Type: research