PSYC 377 - Moral Psychology

This course will explore how and why we make moral judgments about people and their behavior. How are our moral judgments shaped by intuition, emotion, and reasoning? Which kinds of behaviors do we view as immoral? Do we ever put the interests of our broader group or community above our own self-interest? What are the evolutionary and developmental origins of moral judgements? How do we balance punishment motives of retribution and deterrence, and how do these relate to policy decisions about capital punishment? Could a robot have moral rights and responsibilities? In this course we will examine these questions by considering theories and findings from social, developmental, evolutionary, and political psychology, as well as from related fields like philosophy and artificial intelligence. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 or permission of instructor. Every year. (4 Credits)