Empathy: The Core of Morality

Abstract

Luis Fonseca, Andreia Goncalves, Beatriz Couto, Francesco Monteleone, Eduarda Machado, Francisca Rego, Guilhermina Rego and Rui Nunes

Studies and opinion articles present unequal conclusions concerning empathy and morality, mainly because a somewhat heterogeneous and foggy conceptual approach prevails. This scoping review aims to analyses the relationship between empathy and morality and to present a novel conceptual model of empathy applied to moral decisions. A search in PsycINFO, Scopus and PubMed identified articles addressing the relationship between empathy and morality. Thirty-two articles were included. We find an absence of a consensual defi-nition of empathy. It is commonly defined as a predominant emotional process and a factor of bias and prej-udice in moral decisions. According to our conceptual model, empathy is a distinct, complex human neuro- psychological capacity that mobilizes and is dependent on the proper functioning of several brain areas and balances the scales on which are Emotion and Reason, enabling the most thoughtful moral decisions possible in diverse circumstances and contexts.

PDF