Moral psychology and social epistemology study how people think, decide and learn together. This research area explores how moral judgment works, how beliefs are formed and influenced and how knowledge spreads through social groups, institutions and communities. At UB, this work connects philosophy with psychology, cognitive science and the social sciences to better understand human reasoning in real-world contexts.
Great for students interested in psychology, ethics, politics, communication, social science, public policy or how people think and decide together.
Research in this area explores questions such as:
These questions are central to understanding moral disagreement, public debate and knowledge in a connected world.
Researchers combine philosophical analysis with insights from psychology and the social sciences. This work often examines how people actually reason, not just how they ideally should reason. UB’s Philosophy department has a particular strength in using methods from experimental philosophy to study these questions.
Research approaches may include:
This interdisciplinary approach helps bridge theory and real-world behavior.
Moral psychology and social epistemology research at UB often examines:
Together, these areas help explain how people reason about right and wrong and how knowledge functions in social life.
Students can explore moral psychology and social epistemology through faculty-mentored research, independent study and interdisciplinary projects that connect philosophy with empirical research on human behavior.