disgust — Blog — Sage Perspectives Blog

The Moral Value of Disgust

The disgust that we experience toward things like feces, blood, and tuna salad gone bad is clearly valuable: an important line of defensive against pathogens that may harm us. But things are more complicated when we turn to disgust about moral matters. When we’re disgusted by racism or those who take advantage of the elderly, the emotion seems fitting—a powerful and valuable response morally polluting behavior.

Research, Editor's PicksMoazzma ArshadJune 2, 2021morals, values, moral emotion, disgust

Ditching Disgust: Does ‘icky’ behaviour harm others?

There is no doubt that our feelings, especially instinctive ones like disgust, do influence our views on what is right and wrong. But feelings, like beliefs, cannot be used to justify such views.

Research, Editor's PicksTara StiversMarch 23, 2020disgust, Psychology, consent, Guest post