Power of Ideals

Ideas about human morality have taken an increasingly cynical turn in recent years. Famous studies have shown that people have an unlimited potential for cruelty when placed in the wrong situations. Other studies imply that our moral responses are simply dictated by inborn biological intuitions, or that people do little more than act out conventional cultural scripts when confronted with moral choices. The Power of Ideals presents a different vision, supported by a different kind of evidence. It examines the lives and work of six 20th century moral leaders who pursued moral causes ranging from world peace to social justice and human rights. Using these six cases to illustrate how people can make choices guided by their moral convictions, rather than by base emotion or social pressures, authors William Damon and Anne Colby explore the workings of three virtues: inner truthfulness, humility, and faith. Through their portrayal of the noble lives of moral leaders, the authors argue that all of us - with ordinary lives - can exercise control over important life decisions and pursue ideals that we believe in. This message flies in the face of contemporary thought in moral psychology, much of which has drawn mainstream media coverage in recent years. But the more accurate, constructive, and inspiring view in The Power of Ideals provides a sound basis for helping all people achieve their moral potentials. The Power of Ideals offers a needed and hopeful vision for personal well-being, for rebuilding trust among disillusioned citizens, for the flourishing of democracy, and for moral progress in the world.