Some Issues of the Moral Judgement in Buddhism and Virtue Ethics

Bujinlkham Surenjav

ABSTRACT

Buddhism is not only a religion but also a philosophical tradition containing vast and rich knowledge about morality. Aside from describing moral concepts and human conduct, Buddhist ethics also focuses on understanding human nature, transformation, and development of moral agency. Emily Mcrae defined the goal of the Buddhist teaching of life as “Buddhist moral psychology is centrally interested in the psychology of moral improvement: How do I become the kind of person who can respond in the best possible way to the moral needs of myself and others?” According to Buddhism, cultivating and “disciplining” one’s mental states (cognitive and affective states) and moral perception plays a central role in the moral improvement and moral judgment. In this article, the author has briefly compared the Buddhist interpretation of emotion and moral judgment with  Western ethical theories.  The author then looked into what Buddhist emphasis on emotion (anger) and its influence on decision-making can offer modern moral psychology.