Earlier quoted context omitted.
[flagged]
Having now looked up what the word priapism means, I'm now trying to imagine what moral priapism would be, and I can't think of a definition that makes sense. What is it? Is there a simpler word you can use?
Overall, the sentence means that fear can lead to an exaggerated or obsessive moral response. This implies that when someone is afraid, they might stick rigidly to their moral code or make moral judgments more extremely or rigidly than they would in a state of calmness."
seems fair
Edit: My gloss of the summary: "Fear creates a hardon for scapegoats among the pitchfork wielders."