The Idea of Morality in Experimental Moral Philosophy

Abstract

This paper aimed to show a concept of the moral that is indirectly contained in the experimental moral philosophy. This concept can also contradict the very idea of experimental moral philosophy. A significant number of studies are called experimental moral philosophy, as they use the methodological paradigm of applying the methods of the natural and social sciences to study the mechanisms of the functioning of morality. When discussing such studies, the focus will be on their direct results. This paper aimed to show a concept of the moral that is indirectly contained in the experimental moral philosophy. Experimental moral philosophy is a methodological paradigm that uses methods of natural and social science to explore how morality works. In the paper we will not discourse directly on the results of such research, but pay attention to the expectations from morality, which can be shown indirectly. Thus, we can find that experimental moral philosophy shows morality as the pursuit of a good that transcends any given experience. There are two main aspects of morality, which are revealed in the discussion of experimental research. Firstly, moral driving action is performed for the sake of goals that oppose the apparent interests of the agent themselves. No matter how these goals were justified, moral action itself is made possible by the ability to see something more important than apparent self-interests. Secondly, a particular position or procedure for assessing the correctness of discovered norms and mechanisms is assumed concerning the discussion of the empirical results of the experimental research. The possibility of this position/procedure does not result from the facts but still presupposes an a priori way of thinking.