Donna Chapman                                           Religious Studies 361

donna@sypub.com                                         Honors Moral Ethics

October 26, 2004                                                                Fall 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What, If Any Is the Connection

Between Emotions and Ethics/Moral Value Judgments – An Overview of Theory


            The question put forth here is: What is the nature of the connection between Emotions and Ethics/Moral Value Judgments. Historically philosophers and psychologists have had varying approaches to the question. These opinions range from the Òemotions must be conquered, only an emotion free decision is true reasonÓ position of the Stoics to David HumeÕs ÒReason is and ought only to be the slave of the passionsÓ[1].

 

I am presenting here an overview of two opposing views - Darwin and Hume, and two contemporary views that are similar to each other – Michael Stocker and Jesse Prinz.  I will give a brief exposition of each view, then I will discuss Hume/Darwin together, and Stocker/Prinz together. I do this because the problems of the historical views are classic problems in terms of ethical analysis.  This paper will conclude with a discussion of the merits of each, and my opinion concerning the viability of any or all of the theories put forth.

 

Darwin

            The watchword of his theory is ÒserviceabilityÓ. The term ÒserviceabilityÓ applies to purposefulness or usefulness.  Which emotions or ethical behaviors are necessary vs unnecessary to an individualÕs survival? Everything we do has purpose, and most of the time our emotional reactions to given stimulus are useful. Over time these purposeful, useful emotions/behaviors become genetically hardwired into us ensuring the survival or our species. Darwin believes that our sense of ethics or moral judgments also evolves in this way. Always the focus is on useful behaviors for the survival of our species.

            Sometimes the triggers of these useful emotions modify through natural selection, based on cultural relativism, environmental need or other factors.  Sometimes through specialization behaviors become unnecessary and drop out altogether. But the bottom line is that at some point emotions and ethics started out external to us as experience, and through repetition and habitual practice became genetically part of us.

            Natural selection suggests that any behavioral change, no matter how small, if useful (serviceable), is preserved, if not useful it is discarded. Natural selection is the key to DarwinÕs theory that ethics are hard wired genetic responses. He believes that they are somehow hard wired because he observed certain ethical behaviors or moral values which crossed cultural and economic boundaries. The only connection that Darwin holds for emotions relative to ethics/moral judgment is in that they are both genetic processes programmed in us over time. He does not see any absolute or implied connection between emotions and moral values.

            Darwin theorized three principles concerning the development and proliferation of emotional behaviors. The first principle answers the origin of the behaviors. It says that certain events or needs elicit certain useful mental states and certain useful behavior.  These mental states attach to each other fear, run etc.  The second principle answers the question Òwhere did the tremendous variety of human emotions come from?Ó All emotions have a physiological component and a sensory component. In a dualist sense, if there is one emotion there must also exist its polar opposite, and antithetical position. This antithetical emotion also has an associated antithetical physiological component and an antithetical sensory component. The third principle explains physiological reactions triggered by emotion which persists after the emotion passes., such as trembling. Darwin considers these physiological occurrences to be independent stand alone emotional events. They occur independent of the will and independent of genetic hard wiring.  Emotions as we know them are constructs based on these three principles.

            Darwin does not name specific emotions, but through extensive and detailed observation of facial expression and their related social behavior patterns, he hoped to answer the question: ÒWhy does an emotion or particular moral value judgment occur?Ó He is the first to approach this question. Darwin thought that facial expression was connected with why because, for example, he observed that a smile usually elicits a pleasant social behavior in an individual. This occurs whether the smile comes from the individual themselves or from another person.  Conversely there were specific behaviors associated with anger and other negative emotions. He makes the jump to a Universalist statement because he observed the same facial expressions connected with the same emotions in various countries around the world. These responses were common whether the country was developed or not.  

            A singular problem with DarwinÕs approach is his assumption of truth. He assumes that an expression of happiness truly represents happiness enough to be considered happiness. He has been criticized by modern psychologists such as Paul Ekman for his lack of investigation into the nature of dishonest ethical behaviors such as willful deception. He also assumes that the ÒnecessaryÓ situations which become part of our genetic structure are all real. Darwin does not take ÒimaginedÓ emotions into account at all. He assumes that these would be un-necessary and as such would be dropped through the process of specialization.

Hume

         ÒReason is and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey themÓ[2]

                                                                                                                                   

 

David Hume is an empiricist, therefore connecting emotions (feelings) with valid moral judgments is an easy leap for him. He says that something being morally good or morally bad is a state that exists because there is a sentiment (feeling) towards that thing.  He does not speak of the ÒoriginsÓ of emotions, but he does say a lot ÒaboutÓ them and their relationship to our ethics/moral judgments. In his ÒTreatise on Human NatureÓ he takes a semantic approach suggesting that because all knowledge is based on data from our senses (empiricism), we therefore cannot ÒknowÓ that something is wrong because we cannot directly perceive ÒwrongnessÓ with any of our senses. He uses logical argument as his cornerstone. A logical argument is false if the conclusion cannot be reached from the premises. For example

            I saw someone murdered.

            Society  is against murder.

            Therefore murder is wrong.

It is a fact that I saw someone murdered (well not really but good for an example), and it is a fact that society is against murder, however it does not follow that murder is wrong simply by virtue of the list of facts above. Hume calls this the gap between ÒisÓ and ÒoughtÓ. We can see a human destroyed..but we cannot see the wrongness of murder. However, Hume says, we can assert a moral judgment which is true, if we look at it from the point of view of semantics. When I say Òmurder is wrongÓ what I am really saying is ÒI am against murderÓ. In this case Òmurder is wrongÓ is a true statement for me. We cannot make global statements about ethics because we cannot know their components empirically. Since the decision about moral values is mainly based on semantics, what we mean by our language at any given time is strongly influenced by our psychological state at the time of the statement – in other words Òhow we feel about itÓ or our emotions intentionality toward its object. Hume defines this as a Òmoral sentimentÓ. He believes that without these moral sentiments we would never be motivated to do the right thing and avoid the wrong.

Impressions are differentiated by quality and intensity. There are two types of impressions: original (sensation) and secondary (reflection).  Sensations are a primary sense experience sort of impression, while reflection is a secondary sense experience type, or one step removed from the real thing. Vivid spontaneous emotions are sensations, Memories of these sensations are reflections.

Hume says that sensations arise in the soul without any sort of direct perception, (but are nevertheless primary sense experiences). They also arise from primary data from the physical senses.  Reflections proceed from sensations. Sensations pertain to direct sense data, while reflections are a lesser version. Reflective impressions are of two types: calm and violent. Hume further differentiates violent reflective impressions as ÒpassionsÓ. There are two categories of passion: direct and indirect. Direct and indirect passions each have their own distinct causation. Direct passions are caused as the name implies, by feelings directly. They are unique instances like no other. Emotions such as grief or joy are direct in that they are caused only by feelings of pleasure or pain. Indirect passions are a composite of feeling and intentionality, or belief about the object of the emotion. HumeÕs most detailed extrapolation concerns the emotion of pride. In the case of pride, the intentional object is the self.

Hume strongly asserts that emotions of themselves are agnostic. They are neither good nor bad. Only the intentional object renders the goodness or badness of an emotion. If the intentional object is a moral judgment or an ethical view, then it can be swayed positive or negative based on our approbation (sentiment) toward or against it at the time. Emotions themselves are inherently benign.

If there is any ethical school that Hume could be attached to it would be the Utilitarian school of thought. He is utilitarian in the sense that we ÒoughtÓ to make moral decisions based on the greater good for ourselves and everyone. He believes that this is a natural ethical position because we are instinctively sympathetic human beings naturally relating to one another, particularly in difficult times.

Now, although emotions are of themselves agnostic, they can be ÒunreasonableÓ.  If the intentional object of an emotion proves to be false then the emotion is unreasonable.  One way that this can happen would be if for some reason the intentional object does not exist. Perhaps the case of unrequited love fits this model. The ÒloveÓ is unreasonable because of the unavailability of the object of ones affections. Another way for an emotion to become unreasonable is when we choose insufficient means to achieve the desired end, or the greater good for self/others.  When this occurs we usually experience a backlash emotion such as frustration or disappointment.

Our will to take action operates on a presupposition that the desired action will be the cause of a desired affect. If for some reason the presupposition proves false, the urge to take action evaporates. In other words we stop caring about the issue..the sensation disappears.

Hume takes issue with philosophers who assume that if the observed results of a calm passion ÒappearÓ to be quiet and introspective, then that IS reason! They go on to assume that violent passions are ÒbadÓ because of their observable  agitation. He also warns against ascribing the action of the will to calm passions exclusively. Both passions operate without weight and with out label. But what has happened again is an issue of semantics. It is generally assumed that Òcalm passionsÓ = strength of mind.  

HumeÕs theory has several problems. The most difficult to overcome is the potential for really non-reasonable behavior. His view makes it completely acceptable to do something purely because we desire it without any consideration for the well being of others, or even common sense. Because we can desire to do anything, as long as the object of our desire does not turn out to be flawed or non-existent. Anything goes. Another problem is that heÕs an empiricist. He ascribes a rock solid dependence on sense data input as criteria for all knowledge. He has just told us that non-empirical entities exist (sensations/impressions). He says that we cannot know what the passions are, then proceeds to describe them in empirical detail. Like Darwin, Hume also assumes that these empirical experiences and Òspontaneously generatedÓ (in the soul) experiences are all real. What about imagined emotions? What about that unrequited love?

Darwin/Hume Evaluation

         Darwin and Hume both are guilty of a classic fault found often within moral philosophy and philosophy at large – that is striving to prove a conclusion already drawn. Darwin has decided that natural selection is the answer to every aspect of every biological system on the planet. He then proceeds to ÒwriteÓ a method of emotion and a method of ethics which adheres to his conclusion.  Hume started with a generalized statement about mental perceptions as impressions and ideas, the proceeds to tweek every aspect of mental process to fit his model.   Neither one has asked proper questions like Òdoes this theory actually apply?Ó ÒAre there instances where it does not?Ó ÒWhat differentiates the situations of appropriate application from the inappropriate applications?Ó ÒDoes my theory really fit the emotional/moral value judgment/ethical behavior that IÕm observing?

            Additionally, both do not take the matter of imagined feelings into account. Certainly it is obvious that ingrained imagined emotions; for example paranoia, certain types of fear, and irrational attraction or desire; all could be ingrained at the genetic level, or could operate as ÒsensationsÓ in the Humean sense.   Hume acknolowedges that emotions can be unreasonable, therefore it is possible to respond to imaginary, or non existant feelings with regard to an intentional object. Darwin provides a mechanism for these un-founded feelings to become genetically part of our make up.

            In his book ÒThe Sacred and the ProfaneÓ Mircea Eliade cites example after example of mundane objects having transcendend ÒsacredÓ purpose.  Some element of this transcendent meaning comes from an imaginary position, or superstition. Over time, the imaginary meaning becomes elemental to the identity of the object. Such can be seen in the sacramental meaning of objects like the Òasherah poleÓ, or even the Òark of the covenantÓ.  Belief in the perhaps imaginary identity of the object raises the object to a transcendent position.

            This area of imaginary emotions is an area of vulnerability for us. In a more modern model, every day our imaginary fear and paranoia is manipulated by both the advertising industry and the Federal Government.  It seems that whenever the people start paying attention to government oversight, all of a sudden there is an Òorange terror alertÓ.  The imaginary fear of personal attack is triggered, and the people respond, by focusing on their own safety and security.  In the case of the advertising industry, we are easily manipulated to view cigarette smoking as a pariah, but fast food (probably MORE damaging to our bodies in the long run) as perfectly ok, and in fact good for our children.

            I will discuss manipulation of these emotions further in the Jesse Prinz section of this paper.

Stocker

            Michael Stocker is one of many contemporary thinkers who believe that current cognitive theories are incomplete when it comes to defining exactly what an emotion is.

            ÒI am concerned to show how, and if possible why, recent philosophical accounts of people and even of emotions have ignored or misunderstood affectivity.Ó[3] (feelings) His motivation for this concern began when, while attending a philosophical association meeting, he observed one of the speakers having a candid discussion with a group of people. The man in question was expressing Òvery passionatelyÓ his opinion about the work of another philosopher. There was no doubt about his opinion concerning the other philosopher. Later on, Stocker approached the passionate philosopher and asked him if he thought that emotions were related to thinking or intellect. The Passionate one said Òoh no, emotions have nothing to do with thinking and evaluations of thinkingÓ.  Stocker observed that the more the passionate philosopher spoke and analyzed the other philosopherÕs work, the more emotionally agitated he got. When Stocker asked him about it, the passionate philosopher revealed that he was completely unaware that he was doing it! (recollected from Ethics Interviews on the Web )

            Stocker defines a special type of feeling called ÒaffectivityÓ. Affectivity contains two types of information, information about intentionality and information about intensity. The intentionality of a feeling depends of course on the intentional object. The intensity of a feeling sets the range between love and lust, between annoyance and rage. The intentionality and intensity of affects impose evaluative assessments on to our emotions.

            Stocker bases his theory on three principles. One: the absence of feelings (affectivity) and in particular, emotions, is a signature characteristic of mental illness. There is a primal care and concern which is essential for a good life. When the care or concern disappears, that is a sign of illness.  Two: without feelings we cannot live a good human life. He suggests that someone without affectivity may not be human at all. Three: any description of people which denies or omits that we are feeling creatures is not talking about healthy, functional people.

            Every mode of thinking or intellectual process is full of emotionality. We donÕt need to be aware of them when we experience them and we donÕt have to be aware that we have them to experience them. A similar example would be that we donÕt have to know that water is a hydrogen atom bonded with two oxygen atoms to know what water is for and what itÕs used for.

When not required, emotions fade into the background. But, the amount of emotion required for any given situation varies. According to Stocker there is always, at the very least, an emotional ÒinclinationÓ persisting in the background of all of our activities, and there probably isnÕt as much time ÒbetweenÓ fully engaged emotional states as is commonly thought.  He defines these emotional states in terms of ÒdispositionalÓ emotion and ÒoccurrentÓ emotion. These terms are often used for the sake of simplicity, however this is a bad idea, for Stocker believes that because of the affectiveness of emotion, two terms and only two terms for types of emotional state are not appropriate. To use his example, if I donÕt like you, IÕll probably be disposed, or more inclined, to get angry at you quicker than at others, and even if IÕm relaxed and calm, if I even think about you I can become irritated at you, you donÕt even have to be present to cause it! Additionally, between times of really being angry at you with you here, I can be angry at you well just because. This is fully engaged anger, without direct provocation.  As opposed to the anger triggered by the primary sense experience of you being in my presence.

            Prof. Stocker firmly lands affectivity in the psyche. He does this specifically to differentiate sense data (feelings associated with and originating from the body parts) from the sort of feeling which cannot be so related. Affectivity is experienced when we are curious about something, or interested in something. Some emotions are combinations of bodily sensation and affectivity, sexual arousal, exultation at the completion of a goal are both examples of  this. What has disturbed Stocker is that when many  philosophers came to the understanding that bodily feelings are not required to experience emotion-which is true, then they took it a step too far and decided that ALL feelings were not required.

            Stocker is looking at previous theories of emotion with a magnifying glass. What he sees is that when it comes to describing what an emotion is, the cognitive theories and the Jamesean theories about the physiology of emotion are just not enough.

 

Prinz

            Jesse Prinz seems to put together the sensible elements from historical and contemporary views on emotions and their relationship to value judgment. He uses brain activity scans to demonstrate that when we process a moral value judgment, there is significant brain activity observed in the emotion centers.  This is particularly evident in the case of judgments about morally wrong issues.  Prinz believes that emotions are an epiphenomenal event necessary for moral judgment; meaning all moral judgments have emotional responses. This is a one directional statement. When we discuss the mechanics of moral value judgments, emotions are always a part. If they are not a part, then it is likely that the person is in some sort of psychotic or disassociated state.  He uses the term ÒaffectÓ for this sort of emotional sensation.

            He is somewhat Darwinian in that he does believe that some value judgments appear to be genetic. By demonstrating ÒdumbfoundingÓ he illustrates the point very well. If you ask a group of people if incest is right or wrong, the far majority will say that incest is indeed wrong. If they are asked why it is wrong, the first argument is Òtheir children will be freaksÓ.  So you answer: Òthey are using birth control, so there is no possibility of offspringÓ, then ask again is incest still wrong? And so on, you systematically counter the arguments about why it is wrong until there are none left. Again ask Òis incest morally wrong?Ó In spite of having no moral excuses, the great majority will still say Òyes, incest is morally wrongÓ. 

            Dr. PrinzÕ premise is that emotion drives basic moral values. The nature of the emotion can be in the form or primary and secondary emotional experiences. Here is a scenario: there is a railroad track with a switch to another set of tracks,  there are 5 people tied to the straight bound railroad track.  There is one person tied to the track on the other side of the switch. The train is coming. Away from both tracks here is one person at the lever of the switch. The question is asked of a group Òis it ok if the person pulls the lever to save the 5, but has to kill the one?Ó The majority of the group say yes. The next question posed is: ÒYou are at the lever, you can pull it and save 5, but you will kill one. Is it ok for you to do this?Ó Again the group will say yes. Now, the question is posed a little differently ÒYou are standing over the one person tied to the track, your lever is right here. If you pull the lever you will save 5 but this person will die right before your eyes. Is it ok to pull the leverÓ The majority here will answer ÒnoÓ! The puzzle was put to the group in several slightly different ways, one permutation was that you were in a room, and just told about the people tied to the track. In the room you have a red button to activate the switch. All of the group said yes it was ok to push the button.

            Our emotions can skew our moral judgments, and they can be manipulated to do so. A test was done using hypnosis to suggest a negative emotional connection attached to the word ÒoftenÓ.  A group was given this suggestion, and then asked to read some copy concerning a man running for public office. One set of copy was favorable toward the candidate, the other negative toward the candidate. Both sets of copy included the word ÒoftenÓ. In both cases the group responded negatively toward the candidate, and the group who had the negative copy AND the suggestion word, responded even more negatively.

 

I give these examples to illustrate that Dr. Prinz has been very thorough in his attempt to show the variety of ways that emotions influence our moral judgments.

            Dr Prinz believes that emotions are needed for moral judgments. Parents use negative emotional associations to discipline their children. Whether its fear of corporal punishment, withdrawal of love, or infliction of guilt, all are emotions which become over time associated with inappropriate behavior and serve to deter it. People who cannot properly emote are usually psychopathic. They do not experience negative emotions. They may learn how to say this is morally wrong or that is morally wrong, but what they are really saying is Òyou say this is morally wrongÓ They donÕt really know what good or bad really means.

            Prinz likes HumeÕs description of emotions paraphrased as Òour belief that something is morally good or morally bad is us having a sentiment (approbation/disapprobation) towards it. In other words we experience an emotion relative to a thing under moral consideration. Prinz breaks down the world into 3 levels of moral code: Autonomy- the level of the individual, Divinity Rules/Nature Rules- the level of small tribes, and  the Community level – found in stratified societies.  In the case of autonomy the victim is an individual, actions are stealing, hitting, and the emotional response is anger. At the level of Divinity Rules, there are purity norms: what you can wear to church, body purity, sexual mores, the action are incest, aberrant sexual activities, the emotion is disgust. We see that the respondent emotion is specializing for a particular layer. The actions pertain to the individual, but the emotions become more generalized, not so Òfirst personÓ.  In the Community layer we see activities like a teenager who does not give his seat to an elderly person, etc. In the community there is an organization of parts, a natural order or parts, well this is about people..so itÕs the natural order of people. The emotion here is contempt.

            Kant suggests that reason influences moral context, Prinz suggests that actually reason does not have much influence at all. At the level of basic moral values reason is insufficient to have any effect at all.

            Moral judgments contain intense emotional responses. To completely understand where they come from we need to completely understand where they come from at the biological level at the societal level etc. We are disposed to act in certain emotional ways. We associate with other individuals and groups of individuals associate into societies. All shape moral judgments which are passed on to children. If we want to get moral norms to change we need to start at the level of emotions and reassign meaning. Look what a great job the anti smoking people have done at assigning negativity toward smoking. Eating junk food is probably more damaging, but the emotional vilification has not occurred with respect to it. Some cultural event (gays getting married in San Francisco) can lead to minor re-construal and eventually lead to significant change in moral values.

Conclusion

I like the primal drive emotions..desire/pleasure/pain relative to survival. From Darwin I like his idea of emotions being easier to trigger based on habit and repetition. I think that the actual process of experiencing an emotion must be a combination of these. But there is something ÒotherÓ. There is something beyond what we can describe from within our physiological shells that is ÒemotionÓ.  The bottom line for me is: All descriptions or attempted definitions of what an emotion is fall short. No one to date has actually gotten it right. It seems that once one area is focused upon in detail, another aspect of the emotional experience is neglected. This concept is understood in Taoism. Once you try to communicate what the Tao is, you have lost it. So far the same seems to be true of emotions. I think that an emotional experience is something other than the sum of itÕs parts.

I have a theory about mathematical knowledge. This discussion from prinz about emotions and value judgments makes me thing that it is more global than originally thought..I think the FI-FO is based on information that is brought in a primary fashionÉ

Our good, well formed moral judgments are based on the existence of an emotional connection. Value judgments are harder to  make if there is an emotional connection and so they should be. We can  ÒinviteÓ a primary experience; after all we canÕt have first person experience with every issue that we may be asked to make a decision aboutÉbut we can invite an emotional connection by virtue of the self education we perform on an issue. IÕve never had an abortion, but I can educate myself about both sides with as much true information I can get so that I am moved passionately toward one decision or another.  The danger however is in the classic flaw that Darwin and Hume are guilty of. This journey of self education must be one of honest scholarship and not one of finding evidence for a position already chosen. It must be an opportunity for real knowledge, not the propagation of fear.

I strongly agree that emotions are integral to moral judgment. Without emotions, our judgments are merely mathematical ratios of probability. The screen play for the recent film ÒI RobotÓ stated it well. The main character, Spooner, hates robots. The reason is because of an accident which occurred when he was younger. The accident involved himself and a child each in separate cars. The cars were underwater. The car that the child was in was filling rapidly as was his. A robot came down, and based on the filling speed of the cars would only be able to rescue one person. The robot calculated the survival possibilities and rescued Spooner, the child drowned. Spooner tried to order the robot to rescue the child, but the robot is just a number crunching machine basically. It has not capacity for compassion or self sacrifice. It has no capacity for transcendent thinking. So, mathematics won out.

Emotions are precious, they set us apart. They make us creatures capable of ethical consideration and conduct. The genetic tendency to a certain view makes us vulnerable, and open for manipulation. The level of influence of our emotions on our ethical choices is both subtle and bold. Awareness is the key.

 

           
BIBLIOGRAPHY

What is an Emotion, Robert C. Solomon, Oxford University

Press, 2003

 

A History of Western Philosophy, Vol. 3, Hobbes to Hume, W.T.

Jones Harcourt Brace & World, Inc 1969

 

A Treatise of Human Nature, Online Reference for leading quote only

 

Introduction to World Philosophy, Elliot Deutsch, Prentice Hall,

1997

 

Philosophy History and Problems, Samuel Enoch Stumph, Mc-

Graw Hill Inc, 1994

 

Class Notes, Philosophy 455, Advanced Philosophy of Mind,

Instructor: Prof York Gunther, CSUN, October, 2004

 

The Wisdom of the West, Bertrand Russell, Rathbone Books Ltd,

London

 

PDF Version of the Chapter on Darwin, Deception and Facial

Expressions

 

Valuing Emotions, Michael Stocker with Elizabeth Hegeman, Cambridge        Studies in Philosophy Series, first two             chapters, Xerox copy, no            publication info.

 

Introducing Ethics, Dave Robinson, Chris Garratt, Totem Books, 1997

 

the Elements of Moral Philosophy, James Rachels, Second Edition, Mc-           Graw Hill, 1993

 

The Right Thing to Do, James Rachels, Second Edition, Mc-Graw Hill, 1999

 

Notes from Seminar ÒThe Emotional Basis of MoralsÓ by Jesse Prinz, at Caltech, on Monday November 15, 2004

 

Manuscript: ÒEmotions EmbodiedÓ, Jesse Prinz, University of North Carolina   at Capitol Hill, under review, 2004

 

The Sacred and The Profane, Mircea Eliade, 1957 Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH, English translation 1959, Harcourt Brace and Co.



[1] David Hume, a Treatise of Human Nature

[2] David Hume, a Treatise of Human Nature

[3] Michael Stocker, Valuing Emotions, p17