Abstract

Psychological Inquiry, 23: 162–165, 2012 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1047-840X print / 1532-7965 online DOI: 10.1080/1047840X.2012.667767 The Unbearable Vagueness of “Essence”: Forty-Four Clarification Questions for Gray, Young, and Waytz Jesse Graham and Ravi Iyer Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California To make the argument that all morality is essen- mind perception and morality. But they make explicit tially one thing, Gray, Young, and Waytz employ a that they want to claim more than just a strong link: series of helpful analogies, portraying morality as a “Many researchers have shown that mental state attri- bull, an elephant, a dog, a Necker cube, H O, a uni- bution is important to morality, but here we explore versity, an invisible triangle, and the Grand Canyon whether mind perception is the essence of morality” Skywalk. This impressive metaphoric diversity illus- (p. 103). This certainly seems like a bolder claim, but trates just how difficult it is to fit something as rich and what exactly is the step from importance to essence? complex as human morality into a single characteri- What new claim is being introduced? Is the claim best zation. It also illustrates the authors’ vagueness