Kindness of Strangers - How a Selfish Ape Invented a New Moral Code

Why do we give a damn about strangers?
Altruism is unique to the human species. It is also one of the great evolutionary puzzles, and we may be on the brink of solving it.
It turns out that, over the last 12,000 years, we have become more and more altruistic. This is despite the fact that, the majority of the time, our minds are still breathtakingly indifferent to the welfare of others.
In solving the enigma of generosity in a world of strangers, McCullough takes us on a sweeping history of society and science to warn that, if we are not careful, our instincts and sympathies have as much potential for harm as for good. The bad news is that we are not designed to be kind. The good news is that we can push ourselves to be kind anyway, together.

About the author

Michael E. McCullough is a Professor of Psychology at the University of California, San Diego. As an experimental psychologist interested in the social dimensions of human life, he conducts research on topics including altruism, forgiveness, gratitude, self-control, religion, and morality, for which he has received numerous distinctions. He is the author of a number of books including Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct.

Summary

Why do we give a damn about strangers?

Report

'Exploring the journey from our xenophobic ancestors to the science and technology aiding our psychology today, this book is an intriguing read for anyone interested in our social evolution and the paths that defined us.'
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Product details

• Authors: Michael McCullough, Michael E. McCullough, McCullough Michael E.
• Publisher: Oneworld
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 04.06.2020
• EAN: 9781786078186
• ISBN: 978-1-78607-818-6
• No. of pages: 368
• Dimensions: 165 mm x 243 mm x 35 mm
• Subjects: Guides > Health; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: general, reference works; Sociology, Cultural Studies, popular science, PSYCHOLOGY / Social Psychology, PHILOSOPHY / Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Sociology: customs & traditions, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography, Popular psychology, Ethics & moral philosophy, Popular philosophy, Social, group or collective psychology, Ethics and moral philosophy, Social and cultural anthropology, Cultural studies: customs and traditions