Elements of Moral Cognition
Elements of Moral Cognition
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Summary
This book explores whether the science of moral cognition is usefully modelled on aspects of Noam Chomsky's theory of Universal Grammar. Just as Chomsky argued that human beings are born with innate knowledge of grammar, so Mikhail suggests that humans might possess innate moral knowledge, and how this question can be investigated.
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Elements of Moral Cognition by John Mikhail
Is the science of moral cognition usefully modelled on aspects of Universal Grammar? Are human beings born with an innate 'moral grammar' that causes them to analyse human action in terms of its moral structure, with just as little awareness as they analyse human speech in terms of its grammatical structure? Questions like these have been at the forefront of moral psychology ever since John Mikhail revived them in his influential work on the linguistic analogy and its implications for jurisprudence and moral theory. In this seminal book, Mikhail offers a careful and sustained analysis of the moral grammar hypothesis, showing how some of John Rawls' original ideas about the linguistic analogy, together with famous thought experiments like the trolley problem, can be used to improve our understanding of moral and legal judgement.
'Judicious, carefully executed, and deeply informed, this valuable study builds upon the early work of John Rawls, including his now-classic Theory of Justice, identifying its core principles, persuasively defending them against critics, deepening them conceptually and developing rich empirical foundationsIt thereby provides the outlines of a naturalistic theory of moral judgment and moral cognition, which may well be a common human possession. One conclusion with broad consequences is that moral cognition crucially relies on the generation of complex mental representations of actions and their components. Mikhail's enterprise resurrects fundamental themes of traditional moral philosophy and Enlightenment rationalism, while showing how they can be cast as empirical science with far-reaching implications for political, social, and legal theory. It is a most impressive contribution.' Noam Chomsky
John Mikhail is Associate Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780521855785 |
| ISBN 10 | 0521855780 |
| Title | Elements of Moral Cognition |
| Author | John Mikhail |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 2011-06-13 |
| Number of pages | 432 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |