Empathy and Moral Development: Implications for Caring and Justice

by Martin L. Hoffman

• ISBN13: 9780521580342
• ISBN10: 052158034X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-04-13
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Contemporary theories have generally focused on either the behavioral, cognitive or emotional dimensions of prosocial moral development. This volume provides the first comprehensive account of prosocial moral development in children. The book's focus is empathy's contribution to altruism and compassion for others in physical, psychological, or economic distress; feelings of guilt over harming someone; feelings of anger at others who do harm; feelings of injustice when others do not receive their due. Also highlighted are the psychological processes involved in empathy's interaction with certain parental behaviors that foster moral internalization in children and the psychological processes involved in empathy's relation to abstract moral principles.

Author Biography

Martin L. Hoffman is Professor of Psychology at New York University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction and Overview	1	(28)
Part I Innocent Bystander
Empathy, Its Arousal, and Prosocial Functioning	29	(34)
Development of Empathic Distress	63	(30)
Empathic Anger, Sympathy, Guilt, Feeling of Injustice	93	(20)
Part II Transgression
Guilt and Moral Internalization	113	(27)
From Discipline to Internalization	140	(35)
Part III Virtual Transgression
Relationship Guilt and Other Virtual Guilts	175	(22)
Part IV Is Empathy Enough?
Empathy's Limitations: Over-Arousal and Bias	197	(24)
Part V Empathy and Moral Principles
Interaction and Bonding of Empathy and Moral Principles	221	(29)
Development of Empathy-Based Justice Principles	250	(13)
Multiple-Claimant and Caring-Versus-Justice Dilemmas	263	(10)
Part VI Culture
The Universality and Culture Issue	273	(14)
Part VII Intervention
Implications for Socialization and Moral Education	287	(12)
References	299	(20)
Author Index	319	(6)
Subject Index	325