The Cognition of Severe Moral Failure: A Novel Approach to the Perception of Evil
I describe the perception of evil as a categorization judgment, based on a prototype, with extensive feedback loops and top-down influences. Based on the attachment approach to moral judgment (Govrin, 2014, 2018), I suggest that the perception of evil consists of four salient features: Extreme asymm...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00557/full |
| _version_ | 1828241996608700416 |
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| author | Aner Govrin |
| author_facet | Aner Govrin |
| author_sort | Aner Govrin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | I describe the perception of evil as a categorization judgment, based on a prototype, with extensive feedback loops and top-down influences. Based on the attachment approach to moral judgment (Govrin, 2014, 2018), I suggest that the perception of evil consists of four salient features: Extreme asymmetry between victim and perpetrator; a specific perceived attitude of the perpetrator toward the victim's vulnerability; the observer's inability to understand the perpetrator's perspective; and insuperable differences between the observer and perpetrator's judgment following the incident which shake the observer no less than the event itself. I then show that the perception of evil involves a cognitive bias: The observer is almost always mistaken in his attributions of a certain state of mind to the perpetrator. The philosophical and evolutionary significance of this bias is discussed as well as suggestions for future testing of the prototype model of evil. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:08:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d8edfe2e83f745c49d169564b81245cf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:08:01Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d8edfe2e83f745c49d169564b81245cf2022-12-22T03:14:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782018-04-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.00557351759The Cognition of Severe Moral Failure: A Novel Approach to the Perception of EvilAner GovrinI describe the perception of evil as a categorization judgment, based on a prototype, with extensive feedback loops and top-down influences. Based on the attachment approach to moral judgment (Govrin, 2014, 2018), I suggest that the perception of evil consists of four salient features: Extreme asymmetry between victim and perpetrator; a specific perceived attitude of the perpetrator toward the victim's vulnerability; the observer's inability to understand the perpetrator's perspective; and insuperable differences between the observer and perpetrator's judgment following the incident which shake the observer no less than the event itself. I then show that the perception of evil involves a cognitive bias: The observer is almost always mistaken in his attributions of a certain state of mind to the perpetrator. The philosophical and evolutionary significance of this bias is discussed as well as suggestions for future testing of the prototype model of evil.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00557/fullevilmoral developmentprototype theorymoral judgmentscognitive biasperspective taking |
| spellingShingle | Aner Govrin The Cognition of Severe Moral Failure: A Novel Approach to the Perception of Evil Frontiers in Psychology evil moral development prototype theory moral judgments cognitive bias perspective taking |
| title | The Cognition of Severe Moral Failure: A Novel Approach to the Perception of Evil |
| title_full | The Cognition of Severe Moral Failure: A Novel Approach to the Perception of Evil |
| title_fullStr | The Cognition of Severe Moral Failure: A Novel Approach to the Perception of Evil |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Cognition of Severe Moral Failure: A Novel Approach to the Perception of Evil |
| title_short | The Cognition of Severe Moral Failure: A Novel Approach to the Perception of Evil |
| title_sort | cognition of severe moral failure a novel approach to the perception of evil |
| topic | evil moral development prototype theory moral judgments cognitive bias perspective taking |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00557/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anergovrin thecognitionofseveremoralfailureanovelapproachtotheperceptionofevil AT anergovrin cognitionofseveremoralfailureanovelapproachtotheperceptionofevil |