Comments on: Clean thoughts can soften moral judgments

By: Donna B.

Donna B. — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:44:21 +0000

Like Kevin H, I was struck by how this could explain certain hypocrisy.

By: nolrai

nolrai — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:30:06 +0000

I have isue with this result because to me “pure” and “immaculate” are moral words more than cleanleness ones, sure the root metaphore is clenleness but that dosnt make them not have the moral meaning.

By: Al West

Al West — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:47:12 +0000

For an anthropological perspective on the same subject, have a read of Mary Douglas’ “Purity and Danger”. Fascinating stuff, anyway.

By: arensb

arensb — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:05:54 +0000

We describe saints as pure and thieves as dirty; consciences can be clean and sins can be washed away.

One exception to this rule immediately springs to mind: “washed in the blood of Jesus”. I don’t know how often it comes up in London, but it’s fairly common in certain circles on this side of the pond.

By: Kevin H

Kevin H — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:51:34 +0000

hmm, this could very well lend some scientific credibility to the notion that fundamentalists (I mean this in all ways, not just religious) are often hypocrites. If feeling unclean makes you more judgmental, than if you have a small tendency not to like something you are none-the-less compelled to do, well then you’d put yourself into a moral spiral. You would continue to do the thing you dislike, which would make you feel ‘dirtier’ which would in turn make you less accepting of that thing in the first place.
I’m sure there are other psychologically valid reasons for finding someone with extreme beliefs, but this might explain part of the story of people like Pastor Ted Haggard in Denver a few years ago.