From ape empathy to human morality?

Emotion and Morality: The Main Factors In Moral Judgment and Moral Behaviour

Abstract: This research project has two parts. First, I argue that empathy is not necessary and not sufficient for morality. I use autistic individuals and individuals who suffer from psychopathy as my primary examples to show that empathy is not a significant source of morality. I review the literature in moral psychology and emotion research to show that emotions other than empathy, primarily...

Developing Emotion-Oriented Morality through Fiction

Background: As a peculiar epistemological procedure to understand and represent world facts, literature has ‎constantly imparted major contributions to human knowledge. Literature’s epistemological ‎effects bear on both cognitive and affective measures; however, its emotional functioning is ‎more remarkable. Fiction resorts to mimesis on readers’ mind in developing such moral emotions as empath...

The Influence of Empathy and Morality of Violent Video Game Characters on Gamers’ Aggression

According to the General Aggression Model, situational factors (such as the game characters) and personal factors both affect a gamer's acquisition of aggressive behavior. Previous studies have found not only that the surface features of game characters, such as appearance and clothing, but also that their inherent characteristics, such as morality and identity, can influence a gamer's attitude...

Our Brains are Wired for Morality: Evolution, Development, and Neuroscience

Psychological and neuroscience research both tell us that morality, our mental ability to tell right from wrong in our behaviors and the behaviors of others, is a product of evolution. Morality has been passed on through the course of evolution because it helps us to live in large social groups by enhancing our ability to get along and interact with others. “Building blocks” of morality, such a...

Autism, Morality and Empathy