On Becoming Responsible

by Michael S. Pritchard

Overview

Michael Pritchard's study of individual morality is set in the trenches, in the valley of life itself. The moral agent he describes is real, not one of the rarified, rational characters portrayed in most ethics texts. Thus the view of morality Pritchard presents in these eleven essays is pluralistic, complex, and down-to-earth.

Pritchard rejects the premise that moral development begins in self-interest, citing evidence of empathy and moral connectedness in very young children. He provides a deliberate and convincing argument for a new starting point for the discussion of moral development, one in which self-interest and empathy are innate and equally essential groundings for individual morality. He then builds a comprehensive framework for tracing moral development that allows human morality to be grounded in both reason and emotion, and recognizes the importance to morality of justice and rights as well as caring and responsibility.

Pritchard's work is both a product of and a contribution to the field of moral psychology that began in the 1960s as a blending of philosophical theories on morality and ethics with insights from psychological theory on human development and moral behavior. Through his essays run the common threads of moral education, the complexity of ingredients and influences in moral life, and the concept of personal integrity.

"Pritchard displays a remarkable, and sometimes ingenious, sensitivity to the fabric of the moral life. Reading through this work is rather like being on a moral 'dig' where one precious gem after the other is turned up. . . . It deals with the moral life as it is actually lived. Virtually any person on the street could identify with Pritchard's moral agents, whereas the moral agents in the texts of most philosophers turn out to be rarified creatures that no one would ever supposed had walked the earth. . . . Pritchard's discussion of Kohlberg is masterful and extraordinarily subtle—a most important and very significant addition to the literature on this central figure in moral development. The chapter "Accountability, Understanding, and Sentiments" is a ground-breaking piece."—Laurence Thomas, author of Living Morally: A Psychology of Moral Character.

"Offers a thoughtful, imaginative, and responsible consideration of a broad range of issues in ethics that have engaged contemporary philosophers and psychologists."—Gareth Matthews, author of Philosophy and the Young Child and Dialogues with Young Children.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780700604449
Publisher:	University Press of Kansas
Publication date:	01/01/1991
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Preface

1. Introduction

2. On Becoming a Moral Agent

3. Accountability, Understanding, and Sentiments

4. Reason and Resentment

5. Integrity, Dignity, and Justice

6. Moral Psychology and Respect for Persons

7. Cognition and Affect in Moral Development

8. Caring and Justice in Moral Development

9. Personal Morality

10. Autonomy, Reason, and Sentiments

11. Utilitarianism and Personal Integrity

12. Why Be Moral?

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

"On Becoming Responsible is powerful evidence of what can be accomplished in moral philosophy when insightful philosophical analysis takes serious account of moral psychology."—Review of Metaphysics

"Pritchard’s essays are detailed, rich, and often provocative."—Journal of Religion

"Rich in observations about moral development, the moral sentiments, and the role of reason morality. there are especially worthwhile discussions of integrity, dignity, and justice, and of different kinds of ‘outs.’"—Ethics

"Pritchard displays a remarkable, and sometimes ingenious, sensitivity to the fabric of the moral life. Reading through this work is rather like being on a moral ‘dig’ where one precious gem after the other is turned up. . . . It deals with the moral life as it is actually lived. Virtually any person on the street could identify with Pritchard’s moral agents, whereas the moral agents in the texts of most philosophers turn out to be rarified creatures that no one would ever supposed had walked the earth. . . . Pritchard’s discussion of Kohlberg is masterful and extraordinarily subtle—a most important and very significant addition to the literature on this central figure in moral development. The chapter “Accountability, Understanding, and Sentiments” is a ground-breaking piece."—Laurence Thomas, author of Living Morally: A Psychology of Moral Character

"Offers a thoughtful, imaginative, and responsible consideration of a broad range of issues in ethics that have engaged contemporary philosophers and psychologists."—Gareth Matthews, author of Philosophy and the Young Child and Dialogues with Young Children.

From the Publisher

Pritchard (philosophy, Western Michigan U.) builds a framework for tracing moral development from childhood. Through his essays run the threads of moral education, the complexity or ingredients and influences in moral life, and the concept of personal integrity. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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