Varieties of moral judgment: Thick and thin

William Jiménez-Leal and Sergio Barbosa

Chapter 8 in Research Handbook on Social Judgment, 2026, pp 126-139 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter reviews the varieties of moral judgment through the contrasting lenses of thick and thin morality. By first delineating the scope of the moral, we juxtapose thick moral concepts, rich with descriptive and evaluative content, with thin moral concepts, which are more abstract and less detailed. The chapter proposes a taxonomy of moral judgments, ranging from third-person moral judgments, which evaluate actions and outcomes detached from personal involvement, to character judgments, which assess individuals’ traits and intentions. By exploring how thick and thin moralities influence these judgments, the chapter provides a nuanced framework for understanding the complexities of ethical evaluations. This approach offers fresh insights into how we navigate moral landscapes, bridging the gap between abstract ethical principles and concrete moral assessments.

Keywords: Moral Judgment; Thick Concepts; Thin Concepts; Action-Based Judgments; Character-Based judgments; Moral Cognition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332533
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