Moral Anatomy and Moral Reasoning

"Hannaford skillfully weaves together strands drawn both from philosophers, classical and contemporary, and from psychologists. His original yet accessible inquiry deserves careful attention, not only for its incisive argumentation, but also for its clear vision, common sense, and humanity."—Choice

"Hannaford’s suggestion that care for others must be at the root of moral reasoning and is a part of our psychological makeup is novel philosophically and carries the implication that altruism is not something that is acquired, but rather who we are as a species."—Child Development Abstracts & Bibliography

"Hannaford’s treatment shows common sense and humanity, and will be of interest to those reflecting on the Golden Rule’s place in moral reasoning."—Review of Metaphysics

"A dazzling and, at times, masterful display of common sense in moral philosophy. This is a work of genuine philosophical vision that has both power and depth of insight. It brings together and brings to bear upon one another a wealth of insights about the human condition—displaying the right sort of sensitivities to matters at nearly every juncture."—Laurence Thomas, author of Living Morally: A Psychology of Moral Character

"The broad sweep of the author’s argument moves the discussion of moral motivation beyond the old debates about philosophical egoism into such contemporary contexts as the inherently interpersonal character of human language and the inevitably trans-cultural presuppositions of moral evaluations between cultures."—Thomas Wren, author of Caring about Morality: Philosophical Perspectives in Moral Psychology

"This is a penetrating analysis of why attempts to explain moral reasoning in terms of what rationally self-interested individuals can publicly advocate are bound to fail. Instead, Hannaford introduces the notion of ‘moral anatomy,’ which places moral reasoning within the network of socially oriented attitudes, motives, and interpersonal relationships that make sense of who we are as persons and as members of moral communities. He effectively supports his thesis by showing that even in very early childhood, our emerging moral anatomy reveals moral reasoning at work."—Michael S. Pritchard, author of On Becoming Responsible