This article proposes a theoretical approach to the sociology of moral giving. ‘Moral giving’ is a novel term introduced to cover acts of charity, philanthropy, and suchlike, both individual and as associated with donor institutions, such as family foundations and civil society organisations. A topic in moral philosophy for centuries, it has sociological aspects that have not been well studied. Inevitably, there is a complex range of functions motivating moral-giving actions, including the social ends (benefits, rewards, etc.) that motivate donors. Assuming not to distinguish between motive and function as (potential) drivers, this study presents an analysis of the social motivations of moral giving from an integrative perspective. First, a particularist approach is considered and a novel synthesis of the micro-macro dichotomy is outlined. Then, five major motivations or perspectives on moral giving are identified – those of religion, exchange relations, solidarity, rational choice, and social capital – and their micro/macro orientations and intersecting functions are briefly reviewed. An integrative model is thereby developed that incorporates mutually transitive relations between macro structures and micro agents and between the various social motives of moral giving.

中文翻译：

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迈向道德捐赠的社会学：捐赠行为的社会动机和功能

本文提出了道德给予社会学的理论方法。“道德捐赠”是一个新术语，涵盖个人和与捐赠机构（例如家庭基金会和民间社会组织）相关的慈善、博爱等行为。作为几个世纪以来道德哲学的主题，它的社会学方面尚未得到充分研究。不可避免地，存在一系列复杂的功能来激励道德捐赠行为，包括激励捐赠者的社会目标（福利、奖励等）。假设不区分作为（潜在）驱动因素的动机和功能，本研究从综合角度对道德给予的社会动机进行了分析。首先，考虑特殊主义方法，并概述微观宏观二分法的新颖综合。然后，确定了道德给予的五个主要动机或观点——宗教、交换关系、团结、理性选择和社会资本——并简要回顾了它们的微观/宏观方向和交叉功能。由此开发了一个综合模型，该模型融合了宏观结构和微观主体之间以及道德给予的各种社会动机之间的相互传递关系。