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Borderline personality disorder, autism, narcissism, psychosis, Asperger's: All of these syndromes have one thing in common--lack of empathy. In some cases, this absence can be dangerous, but in others it can simply mean a different way of seeing the world.
In The Science of Evil Simon Baron-Cohen, an award-winning British researcher who has investigated psychology and autism for decades, develops a new brain-based theory of human cruelty. A true psychologist, however, he examines social and environmental factors that can erode empathy, including neglect and abuse.
Based largely on Baron-Cohen's own research, The Science of Evil will change the way we understand and treat human cruelty.
Fresh, compelling analysis of the human capacity for cruelty, and how redefining evil in terms of empathy can reveal new psychological insights.
Baron-Cohen (Developmental Psychopathology/Univ. of Cambridge; The Essential Difference: The Truth About the Male and Female Brain, 2003, etc.) has spent 30 years researching autism and its neurological relationship with empathy,defined asthe ability to identify another's thoughts or feelings and respond appropriately. Historical examples of evil, such as Nazi torture, can be examined in light of this "empathy quotient," andthe author argues that everyone lies somewhere on the "empathy spectrum." Baron-Cohenexplores the complex interplay between social and genetic factors that results in an individual having a high or low level of empathy.Low or zero levels can result in cruel or hurtful behavior, though not always; a variety of factors, including early-childhood parenting, affect individual behavior. The author suggests that modern psychiatry, which identifies "personality disorders" as borderline, narcissistic or psychopathic, can reconceptualize these categorizations by instead classifying them as examples of zero degrees of empathy. Doing so would encourage new social and scientific approaches to diagnosis and treatment options, and may have long-term effects on how societies treat affected individuals. Baron-Cohen raises and effectively parses tricky ethical and biological questions (Should a person with zeroempathyserve prison time for acrime he doesn't understand was wrong? Is there an "empathy gene"?), backing up his arguments with scientific research. He also makes a point to declare his book an attempt to "restimulate discussion on the causes of evil by moving the debate out of the realm of religion and into the realm of science." Biological and psychological factors, not religious belief, he argues, determine cruel behavior. Only by examining the roots of those factors can we begin to understand empathy, which he calls "the most valuable resource in our world."
Baron-Cohen's theory isexhilarating in its implications.
Acknowledgments ix
1 Explaining "Evil" and Human Cruelty 1
2 The Empathy Mechanism: The Bell Curve 15
3 When Zero Degrees of Empathy Is Negative 43
4 When Zero Degrees of Empathy Is Positive 95
5 The Empathy Gene 125
6 Reflections on Human Cruelty 147
Appendix 1 The Empathy Quotient (EQ) 187
Appendix 2 How to Spot Zero Degrees of Empathy (Negative) 197
Notes 201
References 207
Index 231
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Posted August 14, 2011
B&N charges $26 for this on the Nook, but you can buy it for $11,50 if you have a Kindle
5 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 23, 2011
It's about time empathy was examined logically and explained in easy-to-understand terms. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the psychology of those psychopathic, borderline-personities, narcistic, or autistic. Great discussion material. Two thumbs up.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 25, 2011
This book does not only explains what is empathy and its importance in the society. The message will really sync into your hearts and minds which will really help you as a person. . .
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 1, 2012
Interesting, here and there fascinating, too reductionist for my taste.
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Posted October 23, 2012
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Posted September 18, 2011
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Posted March 25, 2013
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Overview
Borderline personality disorder, autism, narcissism, psychosis, Asperger's: All of these syndromes have one thing in common--lack of empathy. In some cases, this absence can be dangerous, but in others it can simply mean a different way of seeing the world.
In The Science of Evil Simon Baron-Cohen, an award-winning British researcher who has investigated psychology and autism for decades, develops a new brain-based theory of human cruelty. A true psychologist, however, he ...