Do abnormal responses show utilitarian bias? (original) (raw)

Nature volume 452, page E5 (2008) Cite this article

Abstract

Arising from: M. Koenigs et al. Nature 446, 908–911 (2007)10.1038/nature05631; Koenigs et al. reply

Neuroscience has recently turned to the study of utilitarian and non-utilitarian moral judgement. Koenigs et al.1 examine the responses of normal subjects and those with ventromedial–prefrontal–cortex (VMPC) damage to moral scenarios drawn from functional magnetic resonance imaging studies by Greene et al.2,3,4, and claim that patients with VMPC damage have an abnormally “utilitarian” pattern of moral judgement. It is crucial to the claims of Koenigs et al. that the scenarios of Greene et al. pose a conflict between utilitarian consequence and duty: however, many of them do not meet this condition. Because of this methodological problem, it is too early to claim that VMPC patients have a utilitarian bias.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 1PT, UK
    Guy Kahane
  2. Department of Philosophy, ENCAP, University of Cardiff, Cardiff CF10 3EU, UK
    Nicholas Shackel
  3. Future of Humanity Institute, Faculty of Philosophy & James Martin 21st Century School, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 1PT, UK
    Nicholas Shackel

Authors

  1. Guy Kahane
  2. Nicholas Shackel

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Kahane, G., Shackel, N. Do abnormal responses show utilitarian bias?.Nature 452, E5 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06785

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