Моральные интуиции: как революция в нейронауках влияет на этику, политическую философию и политические науки

Полития: Анализ. Хроника. Прогноз. 2024. № 4(115). С. 50–67.

Balashov D.

New methods in neuroscience, which emerged at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, allowed to make a breakthrough in comprehension of the human brain functioning principles, including the situations of ethical
choice. The turn to the analysis of moral intuitions was so fruitful that it led to the flourishing of moral psychology, for which moral intuitions became the main research subject. Discoveries in neuroscience and moral psychology
were bound to influence the areas of knowledge, where moral dilemmas and moral intuitions have traditionally been studied, primarily ethics and political philosophy. They have also affected political science. 

One of the most prominent and influential in its impact on ethics and political philosophy is the concept of deep pragmatism by Joshua Greene,
based on numerous empirical studies of the human brain’s response to ethical challenges. Another concept of equal and, potentially, even greater importance for these disciplines, and especially for political science, is moral foundations theory by Jonathan Haidt, which is also based on brain research and neural processes investigation.

The article examines in detail Greene’s research, which led him to articulate his own normative political-philosophical concept, as well as the concept of deep pragmatism itself. It shows that even though Greene attempts to
distance himself from utilitarianism, his concept is, in fact, only a new iteration of the utilitarian theory of justice, which is inferior in terms of justification to other modern versions. In the final section of the article the author explores
Haidt’s moral foundations theory and its implications for philosophy and political science.

Keywords: утилитаризм, мысленный эксперимент, utilitarianism, moral dilemmas, моральные дилеммы, thought experiments, теория моральных оснований, moral foundations theory, moral intuitions, моральные интуиции, “Hume’s Guillotine”, deep pragmatism, "гильотина Юма", глубокий прагматизм