Research Article

The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus

Volume: 67 Number: 1 May 31, 2026
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The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus

Abstract

According to the prevailing paradigm, normative values are considered important in people's moral decision-making processes. However, many studies have found that aesthetic sensitivity provides cognitive flexibility in people's moral decisions. Based on this, we argue that when people are exposed to aesthetic associations in stories involving moral dilemmas, they will make more flexible judgments than when exposed to ethical associations. For this purpose, moral dilemma stories were designed to be asked to participants, and the same moral dilemma stories were read to half of the participants with the “Qāḍī Yūnus” narrative, which evoked ethical associations, and to the other half with the “Dervish Yūnus” narrative, which evoked aesthetic associations. The data obtained were analyzed using an independent samples t-test. According to the analysis results, a moderate statistically significant difference was determined between the two groups (p<0.01). The effect size provided evidence that the statistically significant difference between the two groups was caused by the difference in the independent variable (d=2.31). The findings revealed that those who read the moral dilemma stories from an aesthetic perspective made more flexible moral decisions cognitively than those who read them from an ethical perspective. In conclusion, this study makes an original contribution to the literature by experimentally demonstrating the role of aesthetic sensitivity in moral dilemma assessments.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

TEthical approval for this study was obtained from the Ataturk University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee, on 14.05.2025, with decision No: 178.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Religious Studies (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

May 31, 2026

Submission Date

August 1, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 3, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 67 Number: 1

APA
Gültekin, M. H., & Koçak, B. (2026). The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus. Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 67(1), 193-204. https://doi.org/10.33227/auifd.1755596
AMA
1.Gültekin MH, Koçak B. The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus. AUIFD. 2026;67(1):193-204. doi:10.33227/auifd.1755596
Chicago
Gültekin, Muhammed Huzeyfe, and Bilal Koçak. 2026. “The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus”. Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi 67 (1): 193-204. https://doi.org/10.33227/auifd.1755596.
EndNote
Gültekin MH, Koçak B (May 1, 2026) The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus. Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi 67 1 193–204.
IEEE
[1]M. H. Gültekin and B. Koçak, “The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus”, AUIFD, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 193–204, May 2026, doi: 10.33227/auifd.1755596.
ISNAD
Gültekin, Muhammed Huzeyfe - Koçak, Bilal. “The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus”. Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi 67/1 (May 1, 2026): 193-204. https://doi.org/10.33227/auifd.1755596.
JAMA
1.Gültekin MH, Koçak B. The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus. AUIFD. 2026;67:193–204.
MLA
Gültekin, Muhammed Huzeyfe, and Bilal Koçak. “The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus”. Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 67, no. 1, May 2026, pp. 193-04, doi:10.33227/auifd.1755596.
Vancouver
1.Muhammed Huzeyfe Gültekin, Bilal Koçak. The Aesthetic Foundations of Moral Decisions: An Experimental Study Using Representations of the Qāḍī and Dervish Yūnus. AUIFD. 2026 May 1;67(1):193-204. doi:10.33227/auifd.1755596