Description
Book SynopsisThe main concept is empathy - one feels what is appropriate for another person's situation, not one's own. This important book is the culmination of three decades of study and research by a leading figure in the area of child and developmental psychology.
Trade Review'Empathy and Moral Development is the most important book on empathy, its cultivation, and its fundamental contribution to moral development and behavior. Hoffman's use of types of moral encounter as an organizational device is inspired. In this one work, we finally have the integrative product of Hoffman's three decades of impressive contributions to the field.' John C. Gibbs, Ohio State University
'Elegantly written … a useful attempt to make moral reasoning more evidence based.' Richard Ashcroft, The Lancet
'For over four decades Martin Hoffman has investigated the many facets of moral development, focusing particularly on empathy. In this very important book he integrates his efforts, giving the reader a powerful account of the central role that empathy plays in moral agency. Hoffman's book will serve as a contemporary milestone for both researchers and educators in moral development.' Journal of Moral Education
Table of Contents1. Introduction and overview; 2. Empathy, its arousal and prosocial functioning; 3. Development of empathic distress; 4. Empathic anger, sympathy, guilt, feeling of injustice; 5. Guilt and moral internalization; 6. From discipline to internalization; 7. Relationship and other virtual guilts; 8. Empathy's limitations: is empathy enough? 9. Empathy and moral principles; 10. Development of empathy-based justice principles; 11. Multiple- claimant and caring-versus-justice dilemmas; 12. The universality and culture issue; 13. Implications for intervention.
