Psychology of Morality

The psychological study of morality has existed for nearly a century, but recently there has been a renewed and lively interest in this area. Questions that were raised by early psychologists continue to be central, such as the relationship between morality and society, reasoning and emotions, judgment and action, and universality and diversity. In this course we will address these questions through our exploration of such topics as moral judgment and justification, moral emotions, moral development, moral identity, moral psychopathology, and empathy. Course readings will be comprised solely of empirical and theoretical primary sources, drawn largely from psychology. By the end of the semester, students should be able to understand methodological and theoretical issues in the scientific study of morality, develop a reflective perspective on social and personal attitudes using the lens of moral psychology, and be able to discuss these ideas with a general audience. (Two psychology courses; not open to first-year students) 3 hrs. lect.