EXPLORING THE DICHOTOMY: AN ANALYSIS OF MOTIVATIONAL INTERNALISM AND EXTERNALISM

Date

2025-3-27

Author

Koçkan, Zöhre

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This study critically examines the relationship between moral judgments and motivation from the viewpoints of motivational internalism and externalism. While internalism asserts that moral judgments inherently generate motivation, externalism argues that motivation is contingent upon external psychological and situational factors. This dissertation challenges the rigid dichotomy between these positions and seeks to offer a more nuanced understanding of moral motivation by conducting a thorough examination of historical and contemporary debates. By integrating philosophical arguments with empirical insights from psychology and neuroscience, this research highlights the role of social, emotional, and cognitive influences on moral agency. The amoralist, who acknowledges moral judgments without corresponding motivation, is a crucial test case that reveals the constraints of internalist frameworks. Additionally, this dissertation briefly examines the potential for moral motivation questions to be extended to discussions on moral responsibility and cross-cultural moral psychology, highlighting the meta-ethical discussion's wider relevance beyond theoretical debates. This study contributes to ongoing discussions in moral psychology by examining the extent to which moral motivation depends on external rather than purely intrinsic factors. Rather than assuming an inherent link between moral judgment and motivation, this research explores how external influences—such as social context, emotional engagement, and cognitive processes—shape moral agency. It aims to establish motivational externalism as a flexible and empirically informed framework by underscoring the contingent and context-sensitive nature of moral motivation. Furthermore, it seeks to refine theoretical debates while providing perspectives that may help in understanding moral responsibility and moral conduct across different social contexts.

Subject Keywords

Moral Judgment, Motivation, Internalism, Externalism, Amoralism.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/114051

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis