Biology an d Philosop hy 18: 169–194, 2003. © 2003 Kluwer Ac ademic Pub lishers. Printe d in the Neth erlands. The Neural Mechanisms of Moral Cognition: A Multiple-Aspect Approach to Moral Judgment and Decision-Making WILLIAM D. CASEBEER 1 Departmen t of Philosop hy HQ UA! A"D!P# $%&' !airchild Dri(e uite )A)* U Air !orce Academy+ ,- *'* U..A. /0mail1 2illiam.case beer3u safa.af.mil PA TRICIA S. CHURCHLAND Philosophy Departme nt *)) 4 Uni(ersity of ,alifornia at an Diego 5a 6olla+ ,A 4$*4% U..A. /0mail1 psch urch land3ucs d.edu Abstract We cr ! c" ##$ re% e& !'e () *'r ++( - #! er "!)re " re ** - !'e e )r" # (ec'"*(* +/ (+r"# c+-!+ NMMC, re"c'- !'e /+##+&- r+" c+c#)*+* 1 re*e"rc' ("#$ /+c)*e* + !'ree !erre#"!e c"!e-+re* !'e (+r"# e(+!+*, (+r"# *+c"# c+-!+, " "*!r"c! (+r"# re"*+-. 2 Re*e"rc' %"re* !er(* +/ &'e!'er ! e5#+$* ecologic ally (alid +r e7perimen tally simplified c+ce5!+* +/ (+r"# c+-!+. T'e (+re ec+#+-c"##$ %"# !'e e5er(e!"# re-(e, !'e r+"er !'e r" "re"* %+#%e. 3 M)c' +/ !'e re*e"rc' e5e* + *(5#/$- "**)(5!+* "+)! !'e +(" +/ (+r"# re"*+- !'"! "re (+!%"!e $ !'e ee !+ ("7e e5er(e!"# 5r+-re**. T'* * " %"#)"#e e--, )! "* (+r e * )e r*!+ + "+) ! !'e e) r"# (ec' "* (* +/ ec *+ ("7-, (+re re"#*! c c+ce5!+* &## ee !+ re5#"ce !'e *(5#/e c+ce5!+*. 4 T'e e)r"# c+rre#"!e* +/ re"# #/e (+r"# c+-!+ "re )#7e#$ !+ c+**! "$!'- re(+!e#$ #7e " 8(+r"# (+)#e +r " 8(+r"#!$ ce!er. M+r"# re5re*e!"!+*, e#er"!+* " ec*+* "re 5r+"#$ '-'#$ *!r)!e " +! c+/e !+ "$ particular r" *)*$ *!e(. D*c+% er- !'e "* c e)r"# 5rc5#e* -+ %er- 5#" -, :)-(e ! " ec*+(" 7- &## re;)re %"*!#$ (+re " *c re*e"rc' e)r+*cece, )! c+rre#"!- "c!%!$ cer!" r" re-+* &!' &e##e/e 5*$c'+#+ -c"# c+!+ * 'e#5* -)e e)r"# #e%e# re*e"rc'. Pr+-re** + *+c"# 5'e+(e" &## "#*+ re;)re !'e+re!c"# +%"!+ )er*!"- !'e r"<* *! c!#$ biological /+r( +/ c+(5)!" !+ !'"! * "c '+re $ e(+ !+ *, ee *, r%e*, " !'e *!c! /+r *)r%%"#.