ABSTRACT
Trophy hunters, the researchers argue, most commonly use the ethical theory of consequentialism to justify their actions. There is a very important psychological aspect to ethical judgments about trophy hunting, in that it can be highly emotional. Storey writes that ‘Numerous studies have identified that emotional stimuli make far more effective prompts than purely rational arguments when it comes to changing opinions and provoking a response’. A large body of research in neuroscience on the relationship between emotion and thinking demonstrates that one system, the emotion-based, unconscious automatic system often precedes and directs the other slower, more reflective and conscious system. The research of Antonio Damasio and his colleagues has shown that the emotion-based system focuses attention, has a major effect on what we remember and is more closely linked to behaviour in many situations than are conscious cognitions.
