Morality, Normativity, and the Good System 2 Fallacy
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
In this commentary, I warn against a possible dual process misconception that might lead people to conclude that utilitarian judgments are normatively correct. I clarify how the misconception builds on (1) the association between System 2 and normativity in the dual process literature on logical/probabilistic reasoning, and (2) the classification of utilitarian judgments as resulting from System 2 processing in the dual process model of moral reasoning. I present theoretical and empirical evidence against both premises.
Article Details
By submitting his/her work to the Editorial Board, the author accepts, upon having his/her text recommended for publication, that Diametros applies the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license to the works we publish. Under this license, authors agree to make articles legally available for reuse, without permission or fees. Anyone may read, download, copy, print, distribute or reuse these articles without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author, as long as the author and original source are properly cited. The author holds the copyright without any other restrictions. Full information about CC-BY: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
How to Cite
References
Amer T., Campbell K.L., Hasher L. (2016), “Cognitive Control as a Double-edged Sword,” Trends in Cognitive Sciences 20 (12): 905–915.
Bago B., De Neys W. (2017), “Fast logic?: Examining the Time Course Assumption of Dual Process Theory,” Cognition 158: 90–109.
Bago B., De Neys W. (2019), “The Intuitive Greater Good: Testing the Corrective Dual Process Model of Moral Cognition,” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 148 (10): 1782–1801.
Bago B., De Neys W. (2019b), “The Smart System 1: Evidence for the Intuitive Nature of Correct Responding on the Bat-and-Ball Problem,” Thinking & Reasoning 25 (3): 257–299.
Baron J. (2017), “Utilitarian vs. Deontological Reasoning: Method, Results, and Theory,” [in:] Moral Inferences, J.-F. Bonnefon, B. Trémolière (eds.), Psychology Press, Hove: 137–151.
Baron J., Gürçay B. (2017), “A Meta-Analysis of Response-Time Tests of the Sequential Two-Systems Model of Moral Judgment,” Memory and Cognition 45 (4): 566–575.
Beilock S.L., DeCaro M.S (2007), “From Poor Performance to Success Under Stress: Working Memory, Strategy Selection, and Mathematical Problem Solving Under Pressure,” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 33 (6): 983–998.
Białek M., De Neys W. (2017), “Dual Processes and Moral Conflict: Evidence for Deontological Reasoners’ Intuitive Utilitarian Sensitivity,” Judgment and Decision Making 12 (2): 148–167.
De Neys W. (2012), “Bias and Conflict: A Case for Logical Intuitions,” Perspectives on Psychological Science 7 (1): 28–38.
De Neys W. (2017), Dual Process Theory 2.0, Routledge, Oxon.De Neys W., Pennycook G. (2019), “Logic, Fast and Slow: Advances in Dual-Process Theorizing,” Current Directions in Psychological Science 28 (5): 503–509.
Evans J.S.B.T. (2002), “Logic and Human Reasoning: An Assessment of the Deduction Paradigm,” Psychological Bulletin 128 (6): 978–996.
Evans J.S.B.T. (2011), “Dual-Process Theories of Reasoning: Contemporary Issues and Developmental Applications,” Developmental Review 31 (2–3): 86–102.
Evans J.S.B.T., Stanovich K.E. (2013), “Dual-Process Theories of Higher Cognition: Advancing the Debate,” Perspectives on Psychological Science 8 (3): 223–241.
Frankish K., Evans J.S.B.T. (2009), “The Duality of Mind: An Historical Perspective,” [in:] In Two Minds: Dual Processes and Beyond, J. Evans, K. Frankish (eds.), Oxford University Press, Oxford: 1–29.
Greene J. (2013), Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason and the Gap Between Us and Them, Penguin Press, New York.
Greene J., Haidt J. (2002), “How (and Where) Does Moral Judgment Work?,” Trends in Cognitive Sciences 6 (12): 517–523.
Gürçay B., Baron J. (2017), “Challenges for the Sequential Two-System Model of Moral Judgement,” Thinking & Reasoning 23 (1): 49–80.
Kahneman D. (2011), Thinking, Fast and Slow, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York.
Stanovich K.E., West R.F. (2000), “Individual Differences in Reasoning: Implications for the Rationality Debate?,” Behavioral and Brain Sciences 23 (5): 645–665.
Thompson V.A., Turner J.A.P., Pennycook G. (2011), “Intuition, Reason, and Metacognition,” Cognitive Psychology 63 (3): 107–140.
Trémolière B., Bonnefon J.-F. (2014), “Efficient Kill–Save Ratios Ease up the Cognitive Demands on Counterintuitive Moral Utilitarianism,” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 40 (7): 923–930.