What We Do When We Define Morality (And Why We Need to Do It)

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Moral Psychology

Background:

• Psychological research on morality lacks clear, consistent definitions.
• Divergent, unstated definitions hinder theoretical progress and create intractable disagreements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of defining morality in psychological research.
• To critically examine existing definitions (linguistic, functionalist, evaluating, normative).
• To propose a novel, workable definition for moral psychology.

Main Methods:

• Review and critique of four common approaches to defining morality.
• Proposal of a new definition: obligatory concerns with others' welfare, rights, fairness, and justice, encompassing related psychological processes.

Main Results:

• Existing definitions (linguistic, functionalist, evaluating, normative) face significant challenges.
• A proposed technical, psychological, empirical, and distinctive definition offers a path forward.

Conclusions:

• Clear definitions are essential for effective communication and collaboration in moral psychology.
• A precise definition facilitates distinguishing definitional issues from empirical ones.
• Adopting a shared definition can accelerate advancements in the field of moral psychology.