Moral Disengagement: Mechanisms and Consequences

This lecture explores the concept of moral disengagement, focusing on the mechanisms individuals use to justify detrimental conduct. It delves into practices like euphemistic labeling, displacement of responsibility, and diffusion of responsibility, shedding light on how people disengage from self-sanctions and engage in harmful behaviors. The presentation discusses the role of language in shaping thought patterns and the attribution of blame, emphasizing how individuals distort the relationship between actions and their consequences. Through examples and theoretical frameworks, the instructor illustrates how moral self-sanctions can be selectively activated or disengaged, ultimately leading to a weakened exercise of moral control.