Moral Emotions Essay

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What is it that makes an individual good or bad? What sets one person at a loftier moral standing than another? Within the study of morality lies a facet that ties each abstract concept together. Moral Emotions are the internalized ideas that serve as the backbone for this area of study. They are clear and definitive, and can be analyzed to learn a great deal about the motives and methods of individuals. One of the best explanations of the significance of moral emotions is found in Ronald de Sousa’s (of University of Toronto) study, in which he observes, “The phrase, ‘Moral Emotions’ suggests two questions. First, some emotions, such as compassion or sympathy, are generally approved of; others, such as rage or envy, may be thought ‘nasty.’ What is the basis of these judgements?” Moral emotions are the silent, invisible why behind an individual’s actions. Perhaps one of the clearest examples of the struggle between moral emotions and sociopathic behavior, which is essentially an absence of moral emotions, is the story of Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. This paper will discuss the significance of moral emotions in the lives of Columbine shooters Eric and Dylan, along with a discussion of their anti-social tendencies. Although there are numerous emotions that could be defined as moral, their are four that bear the most significance. First, it is important to understand the difference between the two primary moral emotions, empathy and sympathy. According to Hoffman, empathy can be defined as, “an emotional state triggered by another’s emotional state or situation in which one feels what the other feels or would normally be expected to feel in his situation.” Empathy can be aroused in numerous ways and the emotion becomes gradually more complex with age. Mature empathy, according to Hoffman, “Requires a cognitive sense of oneself and others as
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