Anne Harrington discusses a potential dialogue between Tibetan Buddhism and Western science, exploring the historical imbalance in Western sciences’ attention to violent behavior versus loving emotions, examining the practices of Buddhism and science in cultivating compassion, questioning the presumed moral elevation of scientific rationality, and investigating the connection between scientific theories of human nature and the practical role of science in society.

Anne Harrington discusses a potential dialogue between Tibetan Buddhism and Western science, exploring the historical imbalance in Western sciences’ attention to violent behavior versus loving emotions, examining the practices of Buddhism and science in cultivating compassion, questioning the presumed moral elevation of scientific rationality, and investigating the connection between scientific theories of human nature and the practical role of science in society.

Evolutionary biologists use the concepts of altruism and selfishness to describe the effects that a behavior has on an organism’s fitness–its ability to survive and reproduce. A mindless creature can be an evolutionary altruist, if it helps another individual at cost to itself.

Ervin Staub’s discussion comprises three parts: the first examines research on helping behavior in emergencies, focusing on the factors influencing bystanders’ sense of responsibility and the inhibiting effect of social rules; the second analyzes the origins of genocidal violence, considering social, cultural, and psychological factors, as well as the role of bystanders; the third describes “positive socialization” in children through home and school environments, fostering values of altruism and the ability to oppose destructive group policies.

Ervin Staub’s discussion comprises three parts: the first examines research on helping behavior in emergencies, focusing on the factors influencing bystanders’ sense of responsibility and the inhibiting effect of social rules; the second analyzes the origins of genocidal violence, considering social, cultural, and psychological factors, as well as the role of bystanders; the third describes “positive socialization” in children through home and school environments, fostering values of altruism and the ability to oppose destructive group policies.

Psychologists have found that various empathy-related emotional responses such as sympathy and personal distress relate differently to the performance of prosocial behavior.

Psychologists have found that various empathy-related emotional responses such as sympathy and personal distress relate differently to the performance of prosocial behavior.

According to many Western biologists and other behavioral scientists, competition has assured that narrow self-interest is the only important human motive. In this presentation, we will challenge this prevailing view by describing an important class of economic and social problems in which selfish motives turn out to be self-defeating. Drawing on evidence that reliable nonverbal signals of character exist, we will explain how cooperative predispositions might survive in – and, indeed, even be nurtured by – competitive environments.

In evolutionary terms, altruists gain advantage by being able to identify, and interact selectively with, one another. Implicit in this view is the need to avoid interacting with opportunists. What does the Tibetan Buddhist tradition say about avoiding people of bad character?