Can Psychological Research Make Moral Judgments Help to Justify a Given Judgment - Essay Example

Can psychological research which explains how human beings make moral judgments help to justify a given judgment or action? If so, how?  Greene (359) argues that human beings make moral judgments without reasoning first. It is only after they have made the judgment that they seek for reasons to justify their actions. Psychological research helps in explaining why people make certain moral judgment. There are certain factors that drive people to make certain moral judgment. If the drivers are well understood, it is possible to justify the moral judgment using psychological research. However, some people will make moral judgment without being driven by anything but out of other factors such as influence. Sometimes, it may be impossible to differentiate if the decision was made for given motives or out of influence. In such cases, it becomes impossible to use psychological research to justify the moral judgment. This essay argues that the capability of psychological research to justify moral judgment depends on whether the motives and factors leading the judgment are understood. Psychological research which explains how human beings make moral judgments can be used to justify a given judgment or action. Although there is no clear reason, why people make certain choices and not others, people will tend to justify their actions depending on the circumstances. In Greene’s (363) opinion, humans wish to make judgments based on reasoning. However, most of them end up making their decisions based on emotions. Therefore, if the emotions are well understood, it is possible to understand how humans will justify their actions, or the possible reasons that they will give for their actions. In Greene opinion, (364) “People tend to have emotional responses to personal moral violations, responses that incline them to judge against performing those actions.” However, it sometimes becomes hard to justify actions since some people make decisions without even thinking. It is only after making a decision that humans try to reason as they seek to justify their action or decide if it was right or wrong. Since it is well understood that people tend to make decisions depending on their intuitions, it only requires the researcher to understand the intuitions of the person making the decision to be able to tell the way they will justify their actions. Since there are no reasons for doing certain actions, it is possible to predict the way people will justify their moral judgment. It is possible to justify moral judgment using psychological research since people will justify actions as wrong or right depending on how the society views certain actions. Aristotle (173-174) claims that if a certain action is perceived to be wrong and a person commits it, it is obvious that he or she will try to find any reasons that will make the action appear right. Therefore, it only requires one to understand perceptions of the society regarding certain actions to be able to predict or tell how the doer of any action will justify it. Another reason why psychological research can be used to justify a given judgment is that some actions are performed out of obedience and not reason. It thus requires the researcher to know the motivation behind certain action. If an action of political aggression is performed, the doer will obviously justify the action by giving political reasons. For example, a dictator is likely to justify their dictatorial actions by demonstrating why humans require to be forced to act in a certain way. A person doing charity work will justify their actions by finding reasons on how their actions are helpful to others. Additionally, Milgram (184) posits that some actions are performed out of rebellion. If the researcher understands the nature of person performing a given action, then it is possible to justify the action without understanding the reason behind it. It only requires one to understand the nature of the person doing the action to be able to predict the possible justifications for their actions. However, some people will rebel against certain issues even when they do not concern them. It thus becomes hard to establish the reason behind certain action. Greene feels that understanding the motivation of circumstances under which the actions were performed, would enable justification of the action. Another reason why psychological research is capable of justifying moral judgment is that it is known that human make judgments based on the pleasure or pain associated with the choice. Aristotle (175) argues that people will prefer making moral judgments that result in pleasure and avoid those that cause pain. Therefore, depending on the results of the moral judgment, it is possible to predict the way people will justify certain actions. However, people also practice self-control and may avoid certain actions even though they are pleasurable. People may go through pain after making certain moral judgment. In such circumstances, it may be impossible for psychological research to predict the justifications for the judgment. However, if a moral judgment is considered as just or to be out of self-control, it will be possible to use psychology to justify the action. Greene (365-367) claims that psychological research can be able to justify moral judgments by assessing the effects of the judgment. If the emotions, capacity, and characteristics associated with a moral judgment are well understood, it becomes possible to use psychological research to justify the action. Our capacities or conditions determine the emotions we associate moral judgment with. For example, if we associate sadness with badness and happiness with goodness, we will justify actions as good or bad depending on how we feel about them. Although virtues associated with judgments are not the same as emotions, the virtues determine our emotions. Depending on the virtues associated with certain emotions, psychological research can be used to justify moral judgment as either god or bad. People make moral judgment depending on whether they perceive it wrong or right. For persons with self-control, they will only make judgments that are considered right. However, people who lack self-control will make moral judgments depending on the pleasure associated with the choice. Therefore, if one understands how a moral judgment is perceived by the wider society, it is possible to justify it using psychological research. In Aristotle’s (176) opinion, some people will still pursue moral judgments that are perceived wrongful especially if they lack self-control and are guided by motives. In such cases, it might be impossible to use psychological research to justify such actions especially if the motive is not understood. Therefore, it is only possible to justify certain actions one understands how they are perceived of the motives behind the judgment. According to Milgram (5-7), psychological research can be used to justify moral judgments if the judgment is based on assumptions and obligations. While under obligation, people are likely to make judgments depending on assumptions. If people assume that a certain judgment will please the person authorizing them, them they are likely to choose to do an action even if it is against their values. Additionally, if a person is under obligation or has committed to undertake a certain action, they are likely to assume that it is worth undertaking since they assume that the person authorizing it understands the consequences. Therefore, if the conditions guiding a moral judgment are well understood, it is possible to use psychological research to justify the moral judgment. Read More