This project is primarily exegetical in nature and aims to provide a rational reconstruction of the concept of moral responsibility in the work of Immanuel Kant, specifically in his Critique of Pure Reason (CPR), Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (GR), and Critique of Practical Reason (CPrR). It consists of three chapters – the first chapter interprets the concept of freedom that follows from the resolution to the Third Antinomy in the CPR. It argues that Kant is best understood here to be providing an unusual but cogent, compatibilist account of freedom that the author terms meta-compatibilism. The second chapter examines the GR and CPrR to interpret the theory of practical reason and moral agency that Kant develops in these works. This chapter concludes by evaluating what has been established about Kant’s ideas of freedom and moral agency at that point in the project, identifying some problems and objections in addition to providing some suggestions for how Kantian ethics might be adapted within a consequentialist framework. The third chapter argues that, for Kant, there are two necessary and jointly sufficient conditions (in addition to a compatibilist definition of freedom) that must obtain for an individual to qualify as responsible for her actions.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo identificar as práticas de assédio moral mais recorrentes no mundo corporativo. Verificou-se a forma que o judiciário, os sindicatos patronais e os de trabalhadores entendem sobre essa prática, em especial no que se refere às diferenças de tratamento entre homens e mulheres e às diferenças de entendimento entre o primeiro e segundo grau de jurisdição, com relação a procedências e improcedências das respectivas demandas judiciais. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa exploratória, realizada com a análise de 85 (oitenta e cinco) processos judiciais, através da qual se averiguaram as decisões tanto de 1º (primeiro), quanto de 2º (segundo) grau, o que totalizou 170 (cento e setenta) decisões prolatadas desde o ano de 2005 até o ano de 2012. Fez-se, igualmente, coleta de dados por meio de oito entrevistas semiestruturadas, cujos sujeitos são membros do judiciário e também líderes sindicais, tanto dos sindicatos dos empregados, como dos patronais. A posterior análise dos dados coletados foi feita baseada na literatura tida como referencial teórico. Os conceitos de Freitas, Hirigoyen, Barreto e Soboll são utilizados no fundamento do assédio moral. A análise da pesquisa demonstra divergências não apenas entre o entendimento do judiciário e dos administradores e líderes sindicais, mas também entre estes, dentro de suas próprias categorias. Considerando-se, ainda, os resultados encontrados, observa-se a evolução em espiral das práticas de assédio, onde se mantêm basicamente as mesmas práticas, porém com evolução na forma de aplicá-las. Evidenciou-se a dificuldade não somente na identificação e demonstração do assédio moral, como também na parametrização do valor de seu ressarcimento, de modo a compensar o lesado e, ao mesmo tempo, inibir a repetição da conduta. / The objective of the work here presented is to identify the most frequent ways in which moral harassment occurs in a work place, verifying and comparing the different understandings, regarding this practice, of the judiciary (both in the first and in the second degree of jurisdiction), the labor union and the employers associations, especially regarding how different men and women are treated in the working place. It is a exploratory qualitative research, more precisely, the analysis of 85 lawsuits, examining their decisions both at first (1st) as well as at the second (2nd) degree, totalizing 170 judicial decisions handed out from 2005 to 2012. Data was also collected by performing eight semi-structured interviews, whose respondents were members of the three classes whose understanding about moral harassment I was comparing, i.e., members of the judiciary, union leaders, and employers association. Posterior data analysis was made based on the theoretical framework given by leading dominant literature on the subject. The concepts of Freitas, Hirigoyen, Barreto e Soboll are used to characterize moral harassment. The analysis shows divergences on the understating and how the subject is dealt not only between the classes analyzed, but also among members of the same class. The results also show that occurred a spiral evolution of the moral harassment practices, i.e., the same harassments still happens, only the way they are inflicted changed/evolved. From our research, it became evident the difficulty not only in identifying and demonstrating moral harassment, but also in stipulating the amount of the compensatory damages to be paid, so that this kind of practice in inhibited.

The essay aims to provide an overview of existing research on moral cognition and its neural correlates, as well as to highlight aspects in which the findings from the field of cognitive neuroscience can add to the understanding of the challenges that arise from having artificial systems as moral decision-makers. Morality is an important characteristic of the human way of life and a central mechanism in the modern society. Research suggests that morality has evolved as a function to promote cooperation and prosocial behaviour. Morality has been a topic of investigation in several interdisciplinary fields and often includes the exploration of reason and emotion and their respective roles. Contemporary technological advances include the increased presence of artificial intelligence (AI) that aims to simulate the human mind. Empirical evidence suggests that deontological responses are more closely related to emotional components of moral cognition and linked to increased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. In contrast, utilitarian responses appear to be more reliant on reason and a more complex neural network that is linked to increased activity in primarily dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. AI has successfully accomplished certain elements of simulating human cognition. However, key findings suggest that the integration of reason and emotion is essential which is possibly challenging for AI to fully replicate.

Morally worthy actions are morally exemplary actions. They are the result of an agent manifesting his virtue. However, the details are controversial. What should the morally exemplary agent care about and what does it mean to be morally aware? In this paper, I examine these questions and present a novel account of morally worthy action.

Moral outrage is an emotional, cognitive, and behavioral response to moral violations, resulting in a desire to punish the transgressor. Previous literature on moral outrage was limited in its examination of cognitive components and in the consideration of potential sources of moral outrage beyond transgressive behaviors. Through two studies, I addressed (a) cognitions and judgements integral to moral outrage, and (b) how different sources of moral outrage impacted overall moral outrage, as well as its cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components. In Study 1, I examined a literature-derived list of 42 cognitions and judgements about the transgressor in response to a morally outrageous news story. Using EFA and SEM models, I narrowed down and supported four subscales of potential cognitions related to moral outrage: judgements that the transgressor was Villainous, Intentional, Uncaring, and Harmful. Each subscale was internally consistent, though only Villainous and Intentional subscales were found to be uniquely and consistently predictive of moral outrage. In Study 2, I manipulated the moral outrage source in several scenarios presented as fictional news article about a YouTube star and his involvement with a disturbing viral video, following a 4 (moral outrage source: action, belief, affiliation, control) X 3 (topic: physical assault, zoophilia, stealing tips) design. Results showed a complex relationship between the moral outrage source and the strength of moral outrage, as well as each of its components. Interaction effects of source x topic also impacted multiple variables, where the pattern between each source condition differed depending on which vignette topic the participant had read. Broadly speaking, there were mixed results as to whether moral outrage toward a transgressive belief was equally strong as that toward a transgressive action (as seen in my previous research), or somewhat weaker. There was also novel support for the presence of a moderate level of moral outrage toward a person for their affiliation to a transgressive entity, even if the person had no personal transgressive actions or beliefs. The patterns of emotions, cognitions, and behavioral reactions varied slightly from overall moral outrage in unique ways that encourage future study. This research has implications for political polarization, cancel culture, and recognizing the cognitive component of moral outrage, a construct thus far defined primarily through its emotional components.

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Marriage continues to be one of the most important relationships to today's Americans (Fowers, 2000), generating numerous studies on the physical, emotional, mental and financial outcomes of marriage (Waite & Gallagher, 2000). Yet, little research has been done to explore the moral outcomes of marriage. Examining how marriage may contribute to individual spouses' moral development is compatible with recent studies on marital virtues that aim to provide a more complete as well as less individualistic view of marriage (Hawkins, Fowers, Carroll, & Yang, 2007). This study adopts a moral personality approach to examine marriage's role in adult moral development. Taking a moral personality approach when studying marriage's influence allows for a broader understanding of moral development that includes character virtues and identity constructs. In order to examine how marriage may exert such a moral influence, it is necessary to focus on aspects of marriage that are characteristically different from those of other relationships. Commitment is one aspect of marriage thought to set it apart as distinct from other relationships (Adams & Jones, 1997). This study examines how commitment may play a role in the moral development of individual spouses themselves. The purpose of the present study was to examine, using qualitative methods, how married individuals experience commitment and how that commitment may be associated with a greater motivation to be moral. Couples were interviewed on how they experience commitment in their marriages. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using grounded theory methods. Themes that emerged were organized into the following seven categories: (1) What marriage means; (2) What commitment in marriage means; (3) Examples of the influence of marriage; (4) Moral traits and the influence of spouses; (5) Themes relating to identity; (6) Commitment, challenges, and personal growth; and (7) Other influences on moral development. Themes are discussed in terms of their relation to past literature and how they might be integrated into a conceptual model. Implications for practitioners and suggestions for future research are given.

The events of the Bunkerville standoff and the Malheur wildlife refuge occupation were both important confrontations with the government by the western land rights movement. Participants in and responders to the events engage in distinct moral judgments and rationales. Utilizing cultural schema analysis and moral foundations theory (MFT), I explored the differences in rationales and judgments made by participants and responders in their explicit, public moral discourses of both events. My analysis indicates that responders and participants defined and utilized the same moral foundations, but in distinct ways. Participants were more diverse in their invocation of moral foundations while responders centralized on judgments/rationales centered on harm/care and authority/subversion. I argue that the insights of content differences in construction/usage of moral foundations are a key contribution to the literature and usage of MFT. I further argue that future research on moral judgments utilizing MFT should endeavor to specify the moral and rational content of how moral foundations are employed, rather than simply documenting their distributions.

This paper provides an analysis of Bradshaw and Colleagues' model of military healthcare professionals' moral distress experiences. Using novel interview data collected from Canadian Forces healthcare professionals, the steps of the model are validated or potential refinements are suggested. / Military healthcare professionals (HCPs) may experience moral distress during international deployment. Moral distress is experienced when a HCP faces a moral dilemma, e.g., knows the morally correct course of action but is blocked from taking it, or where all available courses of action require something of moral significance be given up. While the literature indicates that moral distress often negatively impacts the mental health of the individual and the effectiveness of the organization, limited research has examined moral distress amongst military HCP. Many similar stressors and psychological health problems are present for both civilian and military HCP; however, the unique context of deployment necessitates further examination. This thesis explores the military HCP experience with moral distress by using Bradshaw and colleague’s model of progression from the encounter with a moral dilemma to the impact on individuals and organizations. Through the analysis of novel interviews collected by the Ethics in Military Medicine Research Group (EMMRG), Bradshaw and colleague’s model of military moral distress is compared to participant’s experiences and qualitatively analysed, with the results outlining where the model is supported and where refinement is recommended. These challenges were then supported by a literature review from the disciplines of virtue and feminist ethics, moral psychology, bioethics, and civilian HCP moral distress research. Two novel and significant revisions to the model are suggested: representing and integrating the cumulative experience of moral distress, and re-conceptualizing the resolution process based on the consideration of contextual controllability on moral responsibility. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS) / This thesis examines the experience of moral distress in military healthcare professionals (HCPs) while working abroad, where a HCP faces a moral dilemma, e.g., knows the morally correct course of action but is blocked from taking it or it requires something of moral significance be given up. This thesis analyses the most recent model of military HCP moral distress (Bradshaw, et al., 2010) by comparing it to the experiences described by participants in the Ethics in Military Medicine Research Group (EMMRG) study. The results outline support for the model as well as novel suggestions for revision, which are supported by literature from a variety of disciplines. Two adjustments to Bradshaw and colleague’s model are suggested: clearer representation of the cumulative nature of moral distress as well as a reconceptualization of the resolution process to consider the influence of the immediate and extended environment on moral responsibility.

Moral identity, moral personality, and moral emotion have all been suggested to influence moral behavior individually, however, the results have been mixed and contradictory. Furthermore, they have never been tested together to determine their relative contribution in predicting moral decision-making. An anonymous online survey was administered to undergraduate students (N = 432). Moral Reasoning was assessed by a series of six hypothetical moral dilemmas. Participants were asked which of two choices they would prefer, one being a more deontological choice, in other words, follow a principle such as “tell the truth”, and the other being a more utilitarian choice, such as “lie to spare a person’s feelings”. In addition, participants were asked how confident they felt that they made the right choice in each dilemma. Other measures in the survey battery included Moral Identity which has two subscales, one for Moral Importance, or the degree to which they feel being a moral person is important, and one for Moral Expression, or the degree to which they try to behave consistently with their moral values; a survey of Moral Emotion with subscales for Shame and Guilt; and a measure of Moral Personality variables otherwise known as the dark tetrad: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Sadism, and Psychopathy. Age and moral expression were the only significant predictors of utilitarian choices on hypothetical moral dilemmas. Although guilt was also correlated with utilitarianism, it failed to be a significant factor when all variables were combined into one regression equation. The degree of confidence participants expressed in their decisions on the hypothetical moral dilemmas was correlated with shame and moral importance, however, none of the morality variables was a significant predictor of confidence ratings when entered together into a regression equation. Possible reasons for the lack of significant results are explored and suggestions for future studies are suggested.