THE MORAL MIND by Henry Haslam. Societas, 2005
    PREFACE (piv)

      Some writers claim that morality is consistent with the principle of "natural selection," while others maintain that it is wholly at variance with it. There is an element of truth in both statements. It all depends on which aspects of morality you choose to look at.

      This book reviews a wide range of moral sentiments so that we can see how far the evidence supports ideas such as these. The topics covered range from temptation to guilt, from altruism to fairness, from sex to economics, from forgiveness to animal welfare, and from cruelty in nature to the future of the planet.

      This survey of the moral mind, groups the moral topics under three natural groupings:

            [1] the morality of instinct

            [2] the morality of custom, and

            [3] the morality of beyond

      This tentative classification of moral topics illustrates the diversity of moral sentiments around the world.

    1) INTRODUCTION (p1-7)

      QUOTE by Charles Darwin in The Descent of Man:

      "I fully subscribe to the judgement of those writers who maintain that of all the differences between man and the lower animals, the moral sense or conscience is by far the most important." (p1)

    2) SETTING THE SCENE (p8-41)

      [2-1] The denial of moral values (p8-22)

        (1) Philosophy (p9-18)

        (2) Psychology (p18-22)

      [2-2] Perspectives on the moral sense (p22-36

        (1) Upbringing (p22-23)

        (2) Feelings and reason (p23-25)

        (3) Principles versus consequences (p25-27)

        (4) The role of altruism (p27-28)

        (5) The role of religion (p28-30)

        (6) Human rights (p30-31)

        (7) Evolution (p31-36)

        (8) Conclusions (p36)

      [2-3] Morality means choice (p37-41)

        (1) Temptation (p37-38)

        (2) Good versus good (p38)

        (3) Can we really choose? (p38-40)

        (4) Choice and selfishness (p40-41)

    3) MANIFESTATIONS OF MORALITY (p42-79)

      [3-1] The morality of instinct --- our animal ancestry (p42-61)

        (1) Families first (p43)

        (2) Caring for other young and vulnerable animals (p43-44)

        (3) Cooperation and reciprocal altruism (p44-48)

        (4) Retaliation versus conflict avoidance (p48-49)

        (5) War (p49-50)

        (6) The ten commandments (p50-53)

        (7) "It's not fair!" (p53-55)

        (8) Guilt (p55-59)

        (9) Conclusion --- Good behavior, bad behavior, and the moral sense in an evolutionary perspective (p59-61)

      [3-2] The morality of custom --- To conform or to challenge (p61-67)

        (1) To conform --- Two ways to engage, first, it is good to conform to the custom's of one's own people (p62-64)

        (2) Or to challenge --- Second, if some of the customs of one's own people are "wrong," then the moral principle that leads them to this belief is stronger than the principle that leads them to conform (p64-65)

        (3) Sexual morality and marriage systems (p65-66)

        (4) Discussion --- There is probably more confusion about customs than about other aspects of teh moral mind (p66-67)

      [3-3] The morality of beyond --- reaching out (p67-79)

        (1) The new testament (p68-71)

        1. Forgiving others (p68)

        2. Caring concerns for all (p69)

        3. Judging others (p69-71)

        4. Other moral sentiments (p71)

          A. Family first (p71)

          B. Reciprocal altruism (p71)

          C. Retaliation (p71)

          D.Conflict avoidance (p71)

          E.Fairness (p71)

      (2) The cruel creator (p72-73)

      (3) How we treat other species (p73-76)

      (4) Preserving the planet (p76-77)

      (5) Thoughts (p77-78)

        See Darwin's QUOTE (p77-78)

      (6) Personal integrity (p78-79)

        Personal integrity is under threat today...A moral code that puts all the emphasis on doing good to others does not have much room for personal integrity...However, personal integrity, which is our sense of the kind of person we want to be, is the basis for all of our moral thinking and behavior and underpins everything else. (p79)

    4) TOWARDS A NEW CONSENSUS (p80-98)

      [4-1] Trying to account for the moral mind (p80-90)

        (1) Is the moral sense inevitable (p81-88)

        (2) Summing up (p88-91)

      [4-2] Some conclusions (p91-98)

        (1) The moral dilemma (p93-94)

        (2) Moral authority (p94-95)


        (4) Looking outwards --- (p97)

        (5) --- And to the future (p97-98)


    REFERENCES (p99-104)

    INDEX (p105-106)

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