Q. Differentiate ‘moral intuition from ‘moral reasoning’ with suitable examples.

Model Answer: 

Moral intuition and moral reasoning represent Daniel Kahneman’s “System 1” and “System 2” cognitive processes, both playing distinct but complementary roles in resolving ethical dilemmas.

1. Differences: Moral Intuition vs. Moral Reasoning

• Nature and Speed: Intuition is fast, automatic, and subconscious (affective domain). Reasoning is slow, deliberate, and conscious (cognitive domain).
• Basis of Action: Intuition relies on ingrained emotions, heuristics, and instincts (Haidt’s Social Intuitionist Model). Reasoning relies on logical principles and ethical frameworks (Utilitarianism, Deontology).
• Cognitive Load: Intuition demands minimal effort, triggering immediate affective reactions. Reasoning requires high analytical effort to evaluate alternatives and long-term consequences.
• Susceptibility to Bias: Intuition is highly prone to unconscious prejudices (e.g., in-group favoritism). Reasoning actively mitigates these biases through objective, evidence-based scrutiny.

2. Contextual Examples

• Moral Intuition: A bystander instantly jumping into a turbulent river to save a drowning child without calculating personal risk (spontaneous, empathetic altruism).
• Moral Reasoning: A public administrator designing equitable COVID-19 vaccine triage protocols by rationally weighing socio-economic vulnerabilities against resource constraints (analytical policy-making).

While moral intuition provides the immediate empathetic compass for human action, moral reasoning serves as the essential rational anchor, ensuring decisions remain universally just, objective, and ethically sound.