摘要
实验伦理学是用科学的实验理论和方法来探索伦理问题,特别是道德行为的心理机制和对策。它主要关注四个问题:一是人性的善恶问题,我们通过实验方法可以了解人性的本质以及社会大众的人性观;二是道德判断的情与理问题,虽然二者在道德判断中的作用仍然存在争议,但现代心理学的实验方法包括神经科学技术的引入为这一问题提供了新的视角;三是个人特质与情境因素对道德行为的影响,实验研究表明,微小的情境变化就能影响我们的道德行为;四是普遍道德原则与文化差异的问题,虽然可能存在普遍的道德原则,但是道德判断与行为仍存在显著的文化差异。实验伦理学能帮助我们消弭科学与哲学问的壁垒,拉近"是"与"应该"的距离。
Experimental ethics is the scientific study of moral issues,focusing on understanding the psychological mechanisms of moral behaviors and finding solutions for moral conflicts.Within experimental ethics lie four topics of exploration:The first line of investigation involves the experimental testing of popular conceptions of human nature.The second line of research uses psychological methods(including neuroscience technology)to untangle the complex effects of human reason and emotion on moral responses.The third line of research concerns the influence of context on individual moral behaviors,challenging the philosophic notion of moral virtues and characters.Finally,the fourth line of research covers cross-cultural studies in moral psychology, illustrating how certain aspects of human morality are universal and how many aspects of it are culture-specific.We argue that the study of experimental ethics will help us better understand the true nature of human morality,enlighten us about 'what is' and 'what should be' in moral understanding,and bridge the gap between the astute fields of experimental psychology and the erudite fields of philosophy.
出处
《中国社会科学》
CSSCI
北大核心
2011年第6期15-25,221,共11页
Social Sciences in China