Abstract

Psychological Inquiry, 23: 129–133, 2012 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1047-840X print / 1532-7965 online DOI: 10.1080/1047840X.2012.668014 Cubist Consequentialism: The Pros and Cons of an Agent–Patient Template for Morality Christopher W. Bauman The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, California Daniel C. Wisneski and Linda J. Skitka Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois Gray, Young, and Waytz (this issue) make a com- Skitka, Bauman, & Sargis, 2005; see also Turiel, 1983; pelling case for why mind perception is a vital com- Wojciszke, 1994), there is no reason to believe that the ponent of moral judgment. The agent–patient dyad is psychological mechanisms that underlie our moral sen- a useful tool that helps identify and organize the psy- sibilities are unique or distinct from those that operate chological processes that often operate when people in amoral contexts. Therefore, a useful contribution of confront moral stimuli. One strength of the idea is that the mind perception approach, and the agent–patient it is thoroughly psychological; it provides an overarch- dyad in particular, is that it helps link morality with ing framework geared toward describing the cognitive other social psychological theories of basic processes. and