IMMORALITY FROM EMPATHY-INDUCED ALTRUISM - WHEN COMPASSION AND JUSTICE CONFLICT

Results of 2 experiments supported the proposal that empathy-induced a ltruism can lead one to act in a way that violates the moral principle of justice. In each experiment, participants were asked to make an al location decision that affected the welfare of other individuals. Part icipants who were not induced to feel empathy tended to act in accord with a principle of justice; participants who were induced to feel emp athy were significantly more likely to violate this principle, allocat ing resources preferentially to the person for whom empathy was felt. High-empathy participants who showed partiality agreed with other part icipants in perceiving partiality to be less fair and less moral (Expe riment 1). Overall, results suggested that empathy-induced altruism an d the desire to uphold a moral principle of justice are independent pr osocial motives that sometimes cooperate but sometimes conflict. Impli cations of this independence are discussed.