09.22.2008 4:48 pm
Morality research and you
Special to the Post-Dispatch
I just found a very interesting site, yourmorals.org, created by researchers looking into how people make moral choices and what kinds of moral frames lead well-meaning folks of different beliefs and backgrounds to make different moral choices. You have to register to use the site, but that only takes a minute and allows your answers to the very interesting questionnaires and moral dilemmas to further research into how humans make moral decisions.
Have fun and feel free to share any interesting results. So far I have found out that I make moral decisions based much more on whether someone will be harmed than whether or not traditional social rules will be broken. This will come as no surprise to readers of this blog.
Kate Lovelady, 38, of Dogtown is the Leader of the Ethical Society of St. Louis, which was founded in 1886 and is currently the largest Ethical Society in the nation. Kate's life partner, Billy Dechand, is a local musician. Kate's hobbies include vegan baking and riding her 49cc scooter. 
Moral choice questions are, in my opinion, a complete waste of time. I understand the insight they can provide into morality, but they are unrealistic at best. Without giving away some of the “tests” that this site wants people to do for free instead of paying a research company to perform, there is no taking into account human reaction and human instinct at the time. The best morality studies would be to interview people that actually had to make one in the heat of the moment or in a life and death situation.
Not to get all sci-fi on everyone, but to quote Kirk in Star Trek II: “I don’t believe in the no-win scenario”. These questions are silly.
Tim has a valid point. These things are interesting for discussion, and even have some validity. However, none of us know for sure what we’re made of until the situation presents itself.