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Introduction

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Notes

Premise: There are behaviours which are sometimes, but not always, controlled by ethical attitudes.

Terminology: ethical decoupling occurs when behaviours with ethical significance are not under the control of ethical attitudes. (The behaviours may, but need not, conflict with ethical attitudes.)

Behaviours with ethical significance potentially include caring for another, cooperating with a group, sanctioning someone for an omission, enslaving an enemy, filial infanticide, cannibalism, sexual activity with another species or a corpse, and eating your own vomit.

Guiding question:

What is the relation between ethical attitudes and the behaviours which they sometimes but not always control?

Schematic answer: ethically significant behaviours are consequences of two or more processes, some but not all of which involve ethical attitudes.

Challenge: characterise the process and the behaviours.

Idea: the leading account of ethical cognition can be used to this end ...

References

Tybur, J. M., Lieberman, D., Kurzban, R., & DeScioli, P. (2013). Disgust: Evolved function and structure. Psychological Review, 120(1), 65–84.