Question

If moral reasoning is largely about providing good reasons for moral claims, where do feelings enter the picture? Is it possible to present a logical argument that you feel strongly about? If so, provide an example of such an argument.

Answer 1

Moral reasoning can be largely affected by the emotions of the individual; it can affect the way he or she attends to evidences and reach conclusions. Most of the time emotions do not affect the process of reasoning consciously; it happens without the conscious awareness of the individual. This can be explained through a simple example. We often develop the moral argument that we should not cause harm to another individual out of the emotion of empathy and sympathy. We arrive at this moral judgement because we do not wish to feel pain ourselves. Studies have shown that people who do not have appropriate emotional functioning also lacks the ability for moral reasoning. Researches on psychopaths revealed that they are not only cruel but also has moral judgement deficits. These instances throw light on the fact that morality and emotions are closely related.