The causal cognition of wrong doing: incest, intentionality, and morality

Area of Science:

• Anthropology
• Moral Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Anthropological claims suggest some societies disregard intentionality in wrongdoing.
• The role of intentionality in moral judgments is a key area of cross-cultural research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of intentionality in moral reasoning in Madagascar.
• To re-examine psychological findings on moral dumbfoundedness using a cross-cultural lens.

Main Methods:

• Case study analysis of Malagasy responses to incest and other wrongdoings.
• Re-evaluation of psychological experiment data on moral dumbfoundedness.

Main Results:

• Malagasy responses to incest do not initially appear to consider intentionality due to catastrophic societal implications.
• Intentionality is considered for other wrongdoings, and even for incest when societal impact is set aside.
• Moral dumbfoundedness in Western participants may stem from similar complexities in evaluating taboo subjects.

Conclusions:

• Societal impact and fundamental values can override considerations of intentionality in moral judgments.
• Cross-cultural studies reveal complexities in moral reasoning that experimental methods may miss.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for understanding nuanced moral psychology.