Reason is the servant of the emotions from "summary" of The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt
In moral psychology, the relationship between reason and emotions is a complex one. Many people believe that reason is in charge, that it is the captain of the ship and that it directs our actions. However, this is not the case. Emotions are the driving force behind our moral judgments and decisions. Our emotions guide us in making moral judgments, and reason comes in afterwards to justify those judgments. We experience a gut feeling about a situation, and then we use reason to come up with arguments to support that feeling. This is the opposite of what many of us believe to be true - that reason comes first and emotions follow. We are often swayed by our emotions without even realizing it. Our emotions color our perceptions and influence the way we interpret information. We are quick to judge others based on our emotional reactions, and then we use reason to rationalize those judgments. Our moral intuitions are deeply ingrained in us, shaped by evolution and culture. These intuitions are like a gut reaction that guides us in making decisions. Reason is like a servant that helps us make sense of those decisions after the fact. When we think we are being rational, we are often just using reason to justify our emotional reactions. We are not as in control of our reasoning processes as we might think. Emotions are powerful drivers of our behavior, and reason is just along for the ride. In order to truly understand human behavior, we must recognize the powerful role that emotions play in shaping our moral judgments. We must acknowledge that reason is not always in charge, that it is often just a servant to our emotions. By accepting this truth, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.
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