A model of empathy to shape trolley problem moral judgements

Moral judgements are a complex phenomenon that have gained a renewed interest in the research community. Many have proposed explanations for moral judgements, including utilitarian accounts and the Principle of Double Effect. Some also advocate for the critical role of emotional processes like empathy. However, developing a computational model of moral judgements is rare perhaps due in part to the numerous influences on it. We present here a computational model of moral judgements based on moral expectation and the Principle of Double Effect. We then extend this model to provide a plausible explanation for the effect of empathy on these judgements. We evaluate these models using results from recent studies with human participants.