Ethics and emotion: an inseparable connection

The False Divorce of Reason from Emotion

Traditionally, Western thought has tended to separate ethics (the study of right and wrong) from emotions, viewing the latter as irrational interferences that cloud moral judgment.

It was assumed that ethical decisions should be based solely on pure reason.

Hume's Perspective

Reason as the Slave of the Passions: The 18th-century philosopher David Hume radically challenged this view.

He argued that reason alone is inert; cannot motivate us to act.

It is passion (his term for emotions) that drives us to prefer one thing over another.

We feel that something is good or bad, and then use reason to find ways to pursue or avoid it.

For Hume, emotions are the foundation of morality; Without them, we wouldn't care about anything.

The Evidence of Neuroscience

Centuries later, modern neuroscience has validated Hume's intuition.

Studies with patients who have damaged emotional areas of the brain show that, although their logical capacity remains intact, they are unable to make effective decisions, even the simplest ones.

They cannot assign value to different options because they lack the emotional compass that tells them what is important.

This shows that emotion is not an obstacle to reason, but an essential component of it.

Emotional Integrity as an Ethical Compass

The contemporary perspective of emotional intelligence integrates reason and emotion.