Are reason and emotion equally neccessary in justifying moral decisions?

Answer 1

Perhaps for intelligent, educated, well informed and well adjusted people. But not for the rest of us.

Most of us can justify just about anything without being just. We can always bend the facts or remember only what supports our current point of view. And, of course, we are always on the more moral side of any issue.

We always make the moral choices, while others ride the slippery slope into the Neatherworld built for fools and the really evil people that seem to oppose our every move.

I would tend to believe that arrogance and prejudice are all that are really necessary to justify anything... at least to ourselves and those like us.

There are a few who would say that Empathy is the only moral compass and "Love one another" is the only path.

Answer 2

Most people do not know this, but in the body, knowledge is accompanied by feeling. The separation of reason and emotion is an artificial distinction imposed by our fear of the deep sensations emotions produce; but the fear is not needed. If our minds are balanced we can allow our feelings to enter into our moral decisions; and we can let reasoned positions to be deepened by our feelings about the issues.

The real question has to do with prejudice, which usually has an unreasoned base and is loaded with feelings.

Reasons and emotions are needed for compassionate moral decisions, which cannot be allowed to be influenced by predjudice and ignorance.

Answer 3

Emotions can be developed (or sharpened) in accordance with reason. We have the power to sharpen our sense of sympathy or dull that sense. It seems to me that we ought to plan to use our emotions as a warning system that brings problems to our attention. But once brought to our attention, we should use reason to address the problem.

The authority behind the command to love one another (as the answer above states) and the command to "to do unto others" (the Golden Rule) are the foundation of a rational response to a problem.

Answer 4

In my opinion, yes.