Rational Learners and Moral Rules
Abstract
People draw subtle distinctions in the normative domain. But it remains unclear exactly what gives rise to such distinctions. On one prominent approach, emotion systems trigger non‐utilitarian judgments. The main alternative, inspired by Chomskyan linguistics, suggests that moral distinctions derive from an innate moral grammar. In this article, we draw on Bayesian learning theory to develop a rational learning account. We argue that the ‘size principle’, which is implicated in word learning, can also explain how children would use scant and equivocal evidence to interpret candidate rules as applying more narrowly than utilitarian rules.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1111/mila.12119
Entities
People
- Alisabeth Ayars
- Hoi‐yee Chan
- Shaun Nichols
- Shikhar Kumar
- Theresa Lopez
Organizations
- Hamilton College
- Office of Naval Research
- Princeton University
- University of Arizona