The authors state that it seems that more often than not individuals think about a moral situation briefly, and then go with their instincts. Do you agree with this characterization of moral judgment? What evidence can you provide to support your position?

In my discussions with students over a number of years, my perception is that they think most people just use instinct. However, two factors make me question this assumption. First, this would seem to invalidate most of Lawrence Kohlberg's findings. Over some twenty years of research, Kohlberg found that people do make progress in developing their moral judgment skills, and they, in fact, do deliberate about the moral dilemma presented to them. Second, in a book entitled The Moral Sense, James Q. Wilson argues that the vast majority of humans are born with a moral sense, "an intuitive or directly felt belief about how one ought to act when one is free to act voluntarily" (xii). Although this definition is not exactly the same thing as an instinct, it is close enough to make my point. The same students who say they think most people use instinct nevertheless tend to disagree with Wilson's contention. Thus, while people say they use instinct, the more likely case is that they do deliberate about the situation, but are unable to articulate their thoughts.