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Do Moral Beliefs Motivate Action?
1Centre for Research in Ethics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
Ethical Theory and Moral Practice : an International Forum
|June 26, 2023
Summary
Moral beliefs may not directly drive actions. Instead, strong moral emotions, not beliefs, appear to motivate behavior, especially in high-stakes situations. This research supports the Humean view of moral motivation.
Area of Science:
- Moral Psychology
- Philosophy of Mind
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Traditional arguments on moral motivation rely on hypothetical scenarios.
- Empirical investigation into the link between moral beliefs and actions is lacking.
- The role of emotions versus beliefs in driving moral behavior is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically investigate whether moral beliefs motivate action.
- To examine the relationship between moral beliefs, moral emotions, and moral actions.
- To test the Humean theory of moral motivation against alternative explanations.
Main Methods:
- Three empirical studies were conducted.
- Participants' moral beliefs and actions were measured.
- The influence of co-occurring moral emotions was analyzed, particularly in high-stakes scenarios.
Main Results:
- Associations between moral beliefs and actions were found to be explained by independent moral emotions.
- Moral emotions, rather than moral beliefs, showed a stronger correlation with action.
- This effect was pronounced when participants faced high-stakes decisions.
Conclusions:
- Moral beliefs appear to possess limited direct motivational power.
- Moral emotions play a significant role in motivating moral action.
- Findings support the Humean model where emotions are the primary drivers of moral behavior.
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