도덕성에 대한 뇌과학적 연구성과와 도덕교육

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the neuroscientific findings of morality and examine their implications for moral education. Specifically it aimed to clarify their positions in moral or psychological outlooks, identify the main points in their findings, and draw out some practical suggestions for moral education. The result is as following. It is found that the neuroscientific findings came out of an implicit assumption of monism or physicalism and with a favor of or consilience with virtue theory in their outlooks. The main achievements in their research findings are found in the negation of 'free will', the localization of 'moral' brain, and the new emphasis on the role of emotion in moral judgment. The findings altogether suggest the need for a new balancing of cognitive and emotive sides of moral training, a new emphasis on prenatal care and infant nutrition, and the importance of practice.