Moral Psychology: A Contemporary Introduction

The Second Edition of Moral Psychology: A Contemporary Introduction is a philosophy textbook that introduces students to a range of philosophical topics and debates in moral psychology. It emphasizes the relationship between traditional and interdisciplinary approaches to moral psychology and aims to explain how empirical research is relevant to philosophical inquiry. Key updates to the second edition include a new opening section on human nature, a new chapter on evolutionary and developmental arguments for the innateness of morality, expanded coverage of the challenges to psychological research, a new section on implicit bias and moral responsibility, and enhanced clarity and accessibility throughout.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 31 July 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Moral psychology is a field of study that explores the nature of moral behavior and the factors that influence it. It seeks to understand why people act morally and how they come to make moral judgments. The field has grown in recent years, with many researchers exploring different aspects of moral psychology, such as moral motivation, moral reasoning, and moral emotions.

One of the key questions in moral psychology is whether reasons for action always depend on desires. Some researchers argue that desires are the primary motivators of moral behavior, while others argue that there are other factors that can influence moral judgment, such as empathy, moral principles, and social norms.

Another important question in moral psychology is whether emotion or reason is at the heart of moral judgment. Some researchers argue that emotions play a critical role in moral judgment, while others argue that reason is more important. Emotions can provide valuable information about the moral implications of actions, but they can also be influenced by biases and stereotypes.

Moral responsibility is another important topic in moral psychology. Some researchers argue that people are morally responsible for their actions regardless of their intentions, while others argue that intentions matter. Moral responsibility can be influenced by factors such as upbringing, education, and social context.

The Second Edition of Moral Psychology: A Contemporary Introduction, published in 2014, was the first philosophy textbook in moral psychology. It introduced students to a range of philosophical topics and debates, such as what is moral motivation, do reasons for action always depend on desires, is emotion or reason at the heart of moral judgment, under what conditions are people morally responsible, and are there self-interested reasons for people to be moral.

The Second Edition of Moral Psychology: A Contemporary Introduction updates its responses to these questions, taking advantage of the explosion of recent research from philosophers and psychologists on these topics. It adds a chapter on the question of whether morality is innate or learned, and emphasizes the relationship between traditional and interdisciplinary approaches to moral psychology. The book aims to carefully explain how empirical research is (or is not) relevant to philosophical inquiry, and includes bulleted summaries, study questions, and lists for further readings at the end of each chapter.

Key Updates to the Second Edition:

Includes a new opening section on human nature, borrowing material from elsewhere in the book.

Adds a new chapter on evolutionary and developmental arguments for the innateness of morality.

Expands coverage of the challenges to psychological research, including the replication crisis and the WEIRDness challenge.

Provides a new section on implicit bias and moral responsibility.

Offers enhanced clarity and accessibility throughout.

Includes up-to-date further reading sections and bibliography.

Moral psychology is a fascinating field of study that continues to grow and evolve. By exploring the nature of moral behavior and the factors that influence it, we can better understand how to promote moral behavior and how to address moral challenges in our society.

Weight: 406g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032388465
Edition number: 2 ed