Center for Behavioral Decision Research

CBDR : Seminar Series : Seminar by Geoffrey Goodwin

The objectivity of ethical beliefs: Psychological findings and implications

	presented by Geoffrey Goodwin (Princeton University)


	Tuesday, December 4	link to paper
	Noon-1:30
	Porter 223D	link to Speaker's Site

	Abstract:

	How do individuals think about the objectivity of their ethical beliefs? Do they regard such beliefs as factual and objective, or as more subjective and preferential, and what might predict this? In five experiments, I set out a methodology for assessing the perceived objectivity of ethical beliefs, and use it to document several novel findings. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that individuals tend to regard ethical beliefs as clearly more objective than beliefs about social conventions and tastes, and almost as objective as scientific facts. Yet, there was considerable variation in ethical objectivism, both across different ethical beliefs, and across individuals. The extent to which individuals treat ethical beliefs as objective was predicted by the way they grounded their ethical systems. Groundings which emphasize the religious, pragmatic, and self-identity underpinnings of ethical belief each independently predicted greater ethical objectivity. Experiment 3 demonstrated the robustness of the religious grounding of ethics, and differentiated it from mere religious belief and from political attitudes. Experiment 4 investigated what kinds of ethical beliefs are perceived as objective, and showed that both valence and perceived consensus predict objectivity, but that harmfulness does not. Experiment 5 showed that a propensity towards disjunctive thinking seems to underpin a more subjectivist stance on ethics. The results shed light on the nature of ethical belief, and have implications for the resolution of ethical disputes.

	Host at CMU: Morewedge