Technologies, particularly if they are new, often give rise to emotional reactions that are based on perceived risks. Recent examples of such technological risks involve cloning and genetically modified food; the use of nuclear energy continues to spark heated and emotional debates. Empirical research has shown that people rely on emotions in making judgments about what constitutes an acceptable risk (Slovic 1999). However, this does not answer the question of whether judgments that are based on emotions can provide a better understanding of the moral acceptability of risks than do judgments that do not take the emotions into consideration. Many scientists dismiss the emotions of the public as a sign of irrationality. Should engineers, scientists, and policy makers involved in developing risk regulation take the emotions of the public seriously?

Emotions and Moral Judgments

There are two major traditions in modern moral theory that deal...