Traumatic Brain Injury and Abnormal Moral Judgment

Abstract

This article explains the underlying mechanism of utilitarian decisions in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients when pondering trolley-type moral dilemmas. In the first section of the literature review, definitions of TBI, utilitarianism and abnormal moral judgment have been provided. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has been identified to be undoubtedly prominent based on a discussion of the previous contradictory evidences about the brain areas involved in causing abnormal moral judgment. Subsequently, the function of vmPFC as an emotional integration station is introduced, substantiated by functional magnetic resonance imaging studies and the dual-system theory of moral decision-making. The inability or the diminished ability to feel morally-related emotions following TBI has also been considered a causal factor of endorsement to the act of harming someone directly. Finally, the author advises a few future directions to fill the gap within current knowledge and points out the limitations of thought experiments. Overall, the paper highlighted that the atypical response pattern of moral judgment in TBI patients is attributed to the failure to generate appropriate emotions in the face of moral stimuli.