MEGAN CLARK KELLY and MELANIE KILLEN
Department of Human Development
University of Maryland

What Motivates Us to Be Moral?

Moral Motivation Through the Life Span
Edited by Gustavo Carlo and Carolyn Pope Edwards. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005. 296 pp. Cloth, $50.

Editors Gustavo Carlo and Carolyn Pope Edwards had multiple objectives in the creation and publication of this book: to summarize what is known about moral motivation theory, research, and application across the life span; to share the views of six noted authors about the most important recent findings; and to synthesize work that has had or is likely to have a significant impact on moral development theory, research, and application. Carlo and Edwards' understanding of moral motivation is guided by what they view as the three definitive questions plaguing the field: What is the right thing to do, how is the best state of affairs achieved, and what qualities make for a good person? Their viewpoint is that there is much variability in the order of importance of whether moral thinking, behavior, emotions, intellect, or values motivate people to act in a moral way. We will briefly highlight the major points and provide a few reflections on the book's contributions to the field.