Philosophy Metaethics Questions Medium
Moral intuition refers to the immediate and instinctive sense or feeling we have about the rightness or wrongness of certain actions or moral judgments. It is a form of moral perception that allows individuals to make moral judgments without relying solely on reasoning or deliberation.
Moral intuitions are often considered to be pre-reflective and automatic, arising from our moral sense or conscience. They are typically experienced as strong and compelling, guiding our moral judgments and influencing our behavior. For example, when faced with a situation where someone is being harmed, our moral intuition may immediately tell us that it is wrong and that we should intervene to help.
These intuitions are thought to be innate and universal, shared by all human beings regardless of cultural or individual differences. However, they can also be influenced by socialization and cultural norms, leading to variations in moral intuitions across different societies.
Moral intuition plays a significant role in ethical decision-making and moral reasoning. It serves as a starting point for moral deliberation, providing a foundation upon which moral principles and ethical theories can be built. While moral intuitions are not infallible and can sometimes be mistaken, they are considered valuable sources of moral knowledge and can help guide our moral judgments in complex situations where reasoning alone may be insufficient.
In the field of metaethics, moral intuition is often discussed in relation to moral realism and moral anti-realism. Moral realists argue that moral intuitions reflect objective moral truths about the world, while moral anti-realists contend that moral intuitions are subjective and culturally constructed. The study of moral intuition in metaethics aims to understand the nature, origin, and reliability of these intuitions, and how they contribute to our understanding of moral concepts and principles.