Neuroscience and human nature: Review of The Altruistic Brain

Abstract

Reviews the book, The Altruistic Brain: How we are Naturally Good by Donald W. Pfaff (see record 2014-40044-000). The book presents and discusses evidence from neuroscience with far-reaching consequences and implications for how we conceive of human nature and is therefore of interest to anyone interested in the study of morality in the widest sense. Due to the breadth and range of consequences that the idea of humans having a predisposition for altruistic behavior implicates, the book should be obligatory reading not just for cognitive scientists and moral philosophers interested in the subject matter but everyone who is involved in decision making processes in regard to social and legal policy. The book provides its readers with scientific evidence for Wilhelm von Humboldt's intuitive assessment and thereby highlights that knowledge about human nature stemming from the natural sciences can and should inform how one thinks about the species and the organization of the societies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)