A Companion to Moral Anthropology

A Companion to Moral Anthropology represents the first collective effort to bring together the various currents, approaches, and issues in this emerging field.  Fassin and his international group of experts examine the political, religious, and medical components of morals, moralities and ethics. Their research represents a rapidly growing interest in the ethnography of moralities, the study of moral subjectivities, and the exploration of moral economies.

The collection features contributions from Didier Fassin--a doctor and scholar who has pioneered research in the field of moral anthropology.  He introduces the genealogical and epistemological issues in a moral anthropology. The distinguished contributors explore the formation of moral facts (including values, virtues, and sentiments); local moralities in various contexts (around piety, poverty, or sexuality); perspectives on historically and culturally situated social worlds (such as religion, science, or finance); and the frontier between moralities and politics (issues such as humanitarianism, punishment, or borders). These original essays engage a dialogue with various disciplines, from moral philosophy to the cognitive sciences. A Companion to Moral Anthropology offers a timely and thought-provoking glimpse into the current state and future directions of an important new discipline of the 21st-century world.