Altruism in Humans 1st edition by Batson, C. Daniel (2011) Hardcover

by C. Daniel Batson

One of the "Best Books of 2011" from the Center for Optimal Adult DevelopmentWe send money to help famine victims halfway around the world. We campaign to save whales and oceans. We stay up all night to comfort a friend with a broken relationship. People will at times risk -- even lose -- their lives for others, including strangers. Why do we do these things? What motivates such behavior?Altruism in Humans takes a hard-science look at the possibility that we humans have the capacity to care for others for their sakes rather than simply for our own. Based on an extensive series of theory-testing laboratory experiments conducted over the past 35 years, this book details a theory of altruistic motivation, offers a comprehensive summary of the research designed to test the empathy-altruism hypothesis, and considers the theoretical and practical implications of this conclusion.Authored by the world's preeminent scholar on altruism, this landmark work is an authoritative scholarly resource on the theory surrounding altruism and its potential contribution to better interpersonal relations and a better society.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 28, 2011

Reviews

[David Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough review of the scientific evidence that suggests (1) that genuinely altruistic motives exist in people and are not just façades over ultimately egoistic motives, and (2) that such motives are typically induced by empathy. Batson has designed and implemented several ingenious experiments to test these hypotheses against their rivals, and explains what they show and what remains to be shown in this book.

[Priyanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book