Abstract

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Title:: Psychological Proof of Emotionalist Ethics：Representation of MoralEmotions and Its Influence on Moral Behavior

Keywords:: emotionalist ethics; moral emotion; self-conscious emotion; other-focused moral emotion; moral behavior

Abstract:: Rationalist ethics emphasizes the role of reason in moral behavior，and Kohlberg’s moral cognitivetheory has provided solid psychological basis for it. Emotionalist ethics stresses the motivational power ofemotion，and current studies on moral emotion have confirmed this viewpoint. Moral emotions are many kindsof mixed emotion as a result of moral evaluation about self and other which can influence the generation andchange of moral behavior. Pride，guilt，empathy and admiration can motivate individual prosocial behaviorsand correlate negatively with antisocial behaviors significantly. Shame and anger are apt to cause misbehaviorsand antisocial behaviors. Future research on moral emotion should focus on the role of culture in moralemotion，neurological mechanism of moral emotion，collective moral emotion，practical application andphilosophical reflection on moral emotion.