As was seen in Section 1, feelings (emotions) are not reliable tools of cognition, although they may be indispensable in emergencies and other special situations (pp. 1.3:84-93). Consequently, they are not a valid foundation for distinguishing right from wrong, especially for adults, who possess a well-developed conceptual faculty for making such ethical decisions. Many people suggest that "conscience" should be one's guide and that the wrong can be recognized because it makes one feel guilty. Such associations undoubtedly survive from infancy. Since a very young child does not understand why a stove is dangerous, a parent may use a harsh voice, restraint, or mild punishment to admonish her not to reach toward it with her hand. Thus she learns to associate wrong behavior with an expectation of punishment or shame. As an adult human being with a fully developed faculty of reason, however, she can understand why certain actions are harmful. Accordingly, she need no longer regard her feelings as inscrutable or beyond rational challenge.

Although a rational person does not use feelings as the guide to distinguishing right from wrong, that does not mean that he or she is cold and unfeeling. On the contrary, an individual who fully mentally integrates the ideas of a rational ethics will inevitably come to feel a strong emotional allegiance to those principles. Indeed, such a person can draw upon this passion as a source of energy and motivation in pursuit of the good.