printThree More Problems for the Sociology of Morality
Bykov A.V.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Assoc. Prof., Department of Sociology and a Leading research fellow at the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research, HSE University, Moscow, Russia; Research Fellow at the Department of History and Theory of Sociology, Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia a.bykov@hse.ru
Bykov A.V. Three More Problems for the Sociology of Morality. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2026. No 1. P. 15-25
In this article, largely following Gabriel Abend’s initial problematization, the author discusses three more conceptual and methodological problems for the sociology of morality as a redeveloping field – namely, the definition of morality, the methodology of studying “moral background” and lay metaethical views, and the moral status of artificial intelligence. While acknowledging that neither of these problems is novel, and they all have been already discussed within the sociology of morality to some degree, the author argues that much more effort and a more focused consideration is needed in order to make substantial and substantive progress in these areas. In particular, the author identifies several key issues, associated with the three problems, including disentangling morality from other forms of normativity, developing more valid methodology for studying lay meta-ethical judgments and the more general phenomenon of “moral background”, as well as concentrating on the contested moral status of artificial intelligence, with a focus on ascribing “moral patiency” to robots and artificial intelligence in various interactional contexts. In conclusion, the author calls for a joint discussion of these and related problems within sociology of morality, which would contribute to establishing a fully-fledged research program.
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