The psychological force that drives people to act according to moral principles and judgments. It addresses why moral beliefs should lead to moral action rather than remaining mere intellectual positions.
From Latin 'moralis' and 'motivus' (moving). The term became central in 20th-century moral psychology as philosophers like R.M. Hare questioned how moral judgments connect to action, challenging the fact-value distinction.
This concept tackles the puzzle of why someone might know cheating is wrong but still cheat: it reveals the gap between moral knowledge and moral action that every person struggles with daily!
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