<p>Some authors posit that humans possess a sixth sense that distinguishes right and wrong:</p>
<p><a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/jefferson/#Mor" rel="nofollow noreferrer">&quot;To nephew Peter Carr (19 Aug. 1785), Jefferson says that the god-given moral sense, innate and instinctual, is as much a part of a person’s nature as are the senses of hearing and seeing, or as is a leg or arm. Jefferson’s comparisons to hearing and sight invite depiction of the moral sense tied to a bodily organ, like the heart (TJ to Maria Cosway, 12 Oct. 1785).&quot;</a></p>
<p>Note that this is not identical to usual notions of 'conscience' or 'moral compass' in that these might allow for feelings resulting from, say, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance" rel="nofollow noreferrer">cognitive dissonance</a> between dogmas learned and necessities of circumstance.</p>
<p>Do humans actually possess such a sixth moral sense?  What are the physiological/psychological mechanisms that would enable such a faculty?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-29T07:57:34.993Z
There is a sixth sense, which is proprioception, or [*Sensation of Self Motion and Orientation*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception). What you are suggesting is a seventh sense?
Chris Rogers
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2022-06-29T09:02:40.607Z
This doesn't seem to be framed in existing models of psychology or neuroscience which is a requirement as per the [help]'s [what can I ask about here?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic). Could you re-frame it within existing models, and make it clear what the question is - at present, it seems to rely on a religious metaphor. If this could be parsed to fit our more scientific approach, then it becomes more likely to receive an answer here (and not be closed as off-topic).
Jiminy Cricket.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-29T14:04:46.250Z
@ChrisRogers There isn't any specific "sixth sense", just a weird "five senses" myth that persists. It's fairly easy to come up with dozens of separate senses, depending on how much you want to lump/split. https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/100634/how-many-senses-do-humans-have for example
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-29T14:35:17.333Z
@JiminyCricket. I previously asked a question about this topic in a more meta way: whether there are inherent human mental processes that bring about a belief in a moral sixth sense.  That question was closed as too broad.  I figured *this* question might also end up shedding light where I was hoping light shed, and it has been much more well-received.
Him
<moral-psychology><ethics>
Do humans possess a sixth "moral sense"?
Him
# Do humans possess a sixth "moral sense"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-06-28)

Some authors posit that humans possess a sixth sense that distinguishes right and wrong:

["To nephew Peter Carr (19 Aug. 1785), Jefferson says that the god-given moral sense, innate and instinctual, is as much a part of a person’s nature as are the senses of hearing and seeing, or as is a leg or arm. Jefferson’s comparisons to hearing and sight invite depiction of the moral sense tied to a bodily organ, like the heart (TJ to Maria Cosway, 12 Oct. 1785)."](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/jefferson/#Mor)

Note that this is not identical to usual notions of 'conscience' or 'moral compass' in that these might allow for feelings resulting from, say, [cognitive dissonance](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance) between dogmas learned and necessities of circumstance.

Do humans actually possess such a sixth moral sense? What are the physiological/psychological mechanisms that would enable such a faculty?

**Tags:** moral-psychology, ethics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There is a sixth sense, which is proprioception, or [*Sensation of Self Motion and Orientation*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception). What you are suggesting is a seventh sense?  
> **username_2**: This doesn't seem to be framed in existing models of psychology or neuroscience which is a requirement as per the [help]'s [what can I ask about here?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic). Could you re-frame it within existing models, and make it clear what the question is - at present, it seems to rely on a religious metaphor. If this could be parsed to fit our more scientific approach, then it becomes more likely to receive an answer here (and not be closed as off-topic).  
> **username_3**: @ChrisRogers There isn't any specific "sixth sense", just a weird "five senses" myth that persists. It's fairly easy to come up with dozens of separate senses, depending on how much you want to lump/split. https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/100634/how-many-senses-do-humans-have for example  
> **username_0**: @JiminyCricket. I previously asked a question about this topic in a more meta way: whether there are inherent human mental processes that bring about a belief in a moral sixth sense.  That question was closed as too broad.  I figured *this* question might also end up shedding light where I was hoping light shed, and it has been much more well-received.  

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