Bending the Rules Morality in the Modern World

ArenaBG presents

Bending the Rules: Morality in the Modern World - From Relationships to Politics and War
By Robert A. Hinde

Oxford University Press, USA
2007-11-23


Book Description:

Everywhere people share certain moral principles - it is bad to steal, to kill, to lie. 
We see our morality as absolute, yet we live by rules that differ with the context: it is
ok to kill the enemy in war; for a businessman to do the best for himself; for a lawyer to
argue professionally for a position he would personally reject. We are constantly 'bending
the rules', while considering our moral principles as absolute. Robert Hinde, the eminent
Cambridge biologist and psychologist, presents a new approach to morality based on
combining an evolutionary approach with observations on how people actually behave to show
that morality is more subtle than it appears. The complexity of modern societies requires
the rules to be somewhat flexible according to the context - personal relationships,
science, law, business, politics and war. Some bending of rules is necessary for social
cohesion; but too much is destructive. Hinde argues from a humanistic standpoint for a
deeper appreciation of the nature of morality, so that we may avoid global catastrophe, and
strive for a more ethical, just, and peaceful world.


http://www.amazon.com/Bending-Rules-Morality-Re.../0199218978
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 23, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0199218978
ISBN-13: 978-0199218974
Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches