Moral Mind

When something or action stimulates an emotional trigger in the brain this cause ones moral response to initiate, when having to think of other’s feeling or well being. For example, the reading used the soldiers during WWII, it described how about 20% of the soldiers actually shot at the enemy because they could not reason killing someone. there moral reasoning distinguished right from wrong, to kill someone is considered, in our society to be wrong (generally.

What I found to be interesting after this soldiers statistic was published the army felt the need to, lets say, re wire the moral reactions of future soldier to increase the amount for soldiers firing there guns. Soldiers were taught to shoot from long ranges or high altitude to disassociate the action of shooting bullets that would potentially kill with the person the could potentially die, “Army managed to turn personal moral situations into a impersonal reflex” (180) In addition to meddling to the soldiers metal moral processing the Military also have made religious soldier go against there beliefs as well. The reading reminded us of the 10 commandments one in particular says a person should not kill. This to me raises a question, where is the military’s morality? What gives them the right to meddle with the minds of our soldiers? I have respect for those out fighting, or have fought, I pass no judgment on them, but I do question if they really know why they are there and if they really agree with the reasons?

In relation to my service learning, there is nothing to the extreme moral reasoning of if we are going to kill any one, but we do have to make decisions that will affect others besides our selves. Moral judgment is to take under consideration others. For our service learning we evaluate a homeless or possible homeless persons situation and that make a decision on whether to help them or not, or how much to help them with. In some cases emotion definitely in triggered, I have found myself making decisions on first impulse or thought a certain way base on my emotional reaction. “And like the reading said feelings come first and the reasons come on the fly” (first half of Moral Mind) after my emotional reaction, I talk with my community partner and reasoning start kicking in.