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Where does morality come from? using psychology to answer the question: Is morality innate or acquired?

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2022
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Abstract (EN)

In this research I attempt to do two things, the first is to answer the question of whether morality is innate or acquired through philosophy and psychology. The second is to discover which philosophical ethical theory is the most realistically accurate. Aristotle maintains that morality comes from a virtuous character that can be attained through practical wisdom and habituation, he believes that morality is acquired. Kant claims that morality is derived from categorical imperatives that are based on reason, he has the view that we cannot trust our innate impulses because they will lead us to radical evil. Mill also believes that morality comes from reason, yet he sees that this reason is based on the principle of utility which judges a moral action based on the amount of pleasure and goodness it produces. Regarding the Psychologists, there are two arguments. Those believing that morality is acquired argue that it is culturally conditioned and like Kant and Mill, believe that we cannot trust our innate feelings and instincts as they will lead us astray, part of those innate feelings are empathy, which cannot be trusted to guide our morality. Those believing morality is innate see that it is a product of evolution, and that it is partially innate, that we have the innate mechanisms, that include empathy, that motivate us to act morally and learn moral laws and rules from our culture. Even though morality is partially innate, we still have the responsibility to create moral habits since our cognitive structures are limited and will cause us mental fatigue if we have to think about and attend to every moral cue. The majority of empirical findings point to Aristotle's theory being the closest, he was right in what he claimed, except for the idea that morality is fully acquired.

Author

Nadıa Gaaloul

How to Cite

Nadıa Gaaloul (Master Thesis). Where does morality come from? using psychology to answer the question: Is morality innate or acquired?, 2022, Ibn Haldun University.

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