'Moral Realism' May Lead to Better Moral Behavior

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’Moral Realism’ May Lead to Better Moral Behavior

Jan. 29, 2013 — Getting people to think about morality as a matter of objective facts rather than subjective preferences may lead to improved moral behavior, Boston College researchers report in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

In two experiments, one conducted in-person and the other online, participants were primed to consider a belief in either moral realism (the notion that morals are like facts) or moral antirealism (the belief that morals reflect people’s preferences) during a solicitation for a charitable donation. In both experiments, those primed with moral realism pledged to give more money to the charity than those primed with antirealism or those not primed at all.

“There is significant debate about whether morals are processed more like objective facts, like mathematical truths, or more like subjective preferences similar to whether vanilla or chocolate tastes better,” said lead researcher Liane Young, assistant professor of psychology at Boston College. “We wanted to explore the impact of these different meta-ethical views on actual behavior.”

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Moral law is objective fact, the golden rule etc. exactly, if not more important than mathematical truths. However, we can be seen to approach these truths subjectively. However, that is when danger sets in. We should not stray from the Eternal Law and fall aside into picking and choosing our own system of morality, as we will never be happy, nor will we ever be complete. I see that Liane Young is from the same college that Dr. Peter Kreeft teaches at. Interesting study though…
 
Interesting- psychology suggesting that God is right after all!
 
LiseTravis said:
Interesting- psychology suggesting that God is right after all!
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:confused:

I’ve read the report several times, and can’t see where she’s even trying to make a link between her findings and the existence of a Deity 🤷

She also says this approach is likely to work with the most basic of moral backdrops - it’s good to be generous:
The researchers note that priming a belief in moral realism may enhance moral behavior under certain conditions – such as when the right thing to do is relatively unambiguous (e.g., it is good to be generous). A different outcome could be possible when subjects are faced with more controversial moral issues, they say.
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Personally I’d walk right on by if someone tried to solicit money from me for a cause, no matter how worthy, by beginning with a lecture on moral behavior 🤷

Sarah x 🙂
 
It is an interesting result but as Sarah said, it really is about the effect of one belief or the other. Not their philosophical justifications. I’d really like to see the same study with more ambiguous choices.

Thanks for sharing that.
 
atheistgirl said:
:confused:

I’ve read the report several times, and can’t see where she’s even trying to make a link between her findings and the existence of a Deity 🤷

She also says this approach is likely to work with the most basic of moral backdrops - it’s good to be generous:

Personally I’d walk right on by if someone tried to solicit money from me for a cause, no matter how worthy, by beginning with a lecture on moral behavior 🤷

Sarah x 🙂
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Coincidence?

America’s Blessings
Code: 
                 **[How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists](http://templetonpress.org/book/americas-blessings)
**

http://templetonpress.org/sites/def...27-book-cover-detail/Americas_Blessings_0.jpg

A few years ago, a debate between atheists and religious believers spilled out from the halls of academia and the pews of America’s churches and into the public spotlight. A crop of atheist manifestos led the charge, surmounting and holding the tops of the nonfiction bestseller lists. This offensive brought on an outpouring of religious rebuttals. As both sides exchanged spirited volleys, accusations were leveled; myths, stereotypes, and strawmen arguments were perpetuated; and bitter hostility filled the air. Today many of these misconceptions and myths linger on, along with the generally acrimonious spirit of the debate.

In America’s Blessings, distinguished researcher Rodney Stark seeks to clear the air of this hostility and debunk many of the debate’s most widely perpetuated misconceptions by drawing from an expansive pool of sociological findings. Looking at the measurable effects of religious faith and practice on American society, Stark rises above the fray and focuses exclusively on facts. His findings may surprise many, atheists and believers alike.

Starting with a historical overview, Stark traces America’s religious roots from the founding of the country up through the present day, showing that religiosity in America has never been consistent, static, or monolithic. Interestingly, he finds that religious practice is now more prevalent than ever in America, despite any claims to the contrary. From here, Stark devotes whole chapters to unpacking the latest research on how religion affects different facets of modern American life, including crime, family life, sexuality, mental and physical health, sophistication, charity, and overall prosperity. The cumulative effect is that when translated into comparisons with western European nations, the United States comes out on top again and again. Thanks in no small part to America’s rich religious culture, the nation has far lower crime rates, much higher levels of charitable giving, better health, stronger marriages, and less suicide, to note only a few of the benefits.

In the final chapter, Stark assesses the financial impact of these religious realities. It turns out that belief benefits the American economy—and all 300 million citizens, believer and nonbeliever alike—by a conservative estimate of $2.6 trillion a year. Despite the atheist outcry against religion, the remarkable conclusion is clear: all Americans, from the most religious among us to our secular neighbors, really ought to count our blessings.

americasblessings.com/
 
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