I agree with everything said here, Erik. I think our intuitions are paramount to acting in moral way.

And, I also think you’re absolutely right to note that the notorious characters you mentioned as examples would absolutely identify themselves as having acted well. I’m sure they even ascribed a healthy dose of martyrdom to themselves.

This is where the problem of over-intellectualizing morality that you mentioned comes into play; Hitler, if he were here today, I’m sure could give an intellectually sound account of his morality and the goodness he perceived in his actions. While we might have to admit to the intellectual soundness of his arguments, and even have the ability to empathize with them by imagining ourselves with his brain and his environmental conditioning, most of us would still know within ourselves that his actions were atrocious, heinous, and wholly unacceptable.

Hitler was then both moral and immoral. Morality is fluid and changing through the lens of each observer; so I do believe it is up to us as individuals to both be in tune to our intellectual understanding of morality, and be true to our intuitions so we can act in the best way possible—and hopefully prevent future atrocities; but, of course, I’m afraid that’s wishful thinking.