Sharing responsibility /

A sequel to May's The Morality of Groups (CH, Jul'88), in which he developed the position that social groups are conceived as individuals in relationships. This new book addresses a central question of moral philosophy, namely, whether moral responsibility is limited only to the consequences of overt individual actions. May argues for a notion of shared responsibility in which individuals should see themselves as "sharing responsibility for various harms perpetrated by, or occurring within, their communities." In the main three parts of the book he argues for increased responsibility based first on one's attitudes that make harm within a community more likely to occur, second on failures to act, and third on the various roles and positions people assume within communities. May is somewhat demanding of the reader in using theories from Jaspers, Sartre, and Arendt as points of departure, and communitarianism and classical moral theory as points of contrast. However, the volume is written in very readable style and contains extensive notes and a helpful introduction. Appropriate for more advanced readers. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate; faculty. B. J. Gray; Eastern Kentucky University