The Ethics of Ethics: Thought Experiments and the Psychology of Dehumanization

Fichtelberg, Aaron

doi:10.5840/tej202572161

Teaching Ethics

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published on July 3, 2025

Aaron Fichtelberg

https://doi.org/10.5840/tej202572161

The Ethics of Ethics
Thought Experiments and the Psychology of Dehumanization

In philosophical ethics, thought experiments seek to clarify moral reasoning by abstracting from the contingent character of real-world moral dilemmas, viewing moral actors as abstract persons. This paper argues that such an approach to philosophical ethics ultimately harms the reasoner as abstrac?tion is linked with decreased empathy and a psychology of dehumanization, particularly regarding debates about the moral status of marginalized groups. It both makes the reasoner callous to the suffering of others and generates anxiety in members of marginalized groups who must defend their moral status in the abstract. Using examples from related fields (legal education, medical educa?tion), this paper argues that moral philosophers would do better if they reduced a reliance on abstract thought experiments and instead relied on more concrete cases from literature and history.

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