Written for philosophers as well as general readers interested in social
and moral issues, Mapping Responsibility is a thoughtful exploration
of the ambiguous terrain of moral responsibility. As a philosophical
idea, responsibility poses vexing questions: What does it mean to be a
responsible person -- that is, one who is justly held accountable and
possibly punishable for an action? In exploring this and other important
questions, author Herbert Fingarette employs an interdisciplinary range
of ideas. He uses the theoretical standpoints of moral philosophy, moral
psychology, and psychoanalytic psychology and also taps into legal
scholarship on criminal justice to discuss retribution, punishment, and
the state.