Simone Schnall: Cambridge

How do people tell right from wrong? It used to be assumed that moral decisions are based on rational thought, such that people determine on objective facts and logical analysis what is morally acceptable behaviour. More recently, however, empirical findings suggest that decisions about morality and ethical behaviour are far from rational, but are often guided by emotional and other intuitions. I will discuss my research showing that first, embodied feelings and intuitions influence moral judgments, and second, positive moral emotions can be harnessed to bring about positive behavioural change. These findings suggest that emotions and intuitions play a powerful role in moral considerations