Caring, Empathy, and the Commons: A Relational Theory of Collective Action

People are not autonomous individuals but connected beings. Curae ergo sum – we care, therefore we are. Relationality – which refers to the ethic and manner by which relational considerations govern decisions and institutional arrangements can take advantage of the power of connection – uncovers how social connection, across divides, moves people to act for the other. Drawing from research on empathy, social networks, and determinants of pro-social behavior, Caring, Empathy, and the Commons...