The Science of Generosity

Abstract

Executive Summary Generosity comes in many forms, from charitable donations to formal volunteering to helping a stranger to caring for a spouse or a child. What these and other examples have in common is that they involve "giving good things to others freely and abundantly"-the definition of generosity according to the University of Notre Dame's Science of Generosity Project. When they are generous, people (and sometimes animals) prioritize the needs of others, often above their own. But where does this generosity come from? What are the benefits that result from helping others? And how can generosity be further cultivated within individuals and in society as a whole? These questions have motivated studies from fields as diverse as economics, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, and ecology; their key findings and insights are the focus of this paper, which pays special attention to the role that research funded by the John Templeton Foundation has played in advancing this science of generosity. The roots of generosity Humans are a generous species. That statement seems to fly in the face of decades of research-and centuries of conventional wisdom-equating "human nature" with selfishness and aggression. Yet in recent years, a more complex and nuanced understanding of human nature has emerged. While studies no doubt suggest that humans have a propensity for self-interest-and these studies have drawn understandable attention-research has revealed that currents of generosity also run deep through us. Indeed, generosity has its roots not just in our individual development but also in our very biology and evolutionary history. Species as diverse as bees, birds, vampire bats, rats, and chimpanzees all exhibit forms of generosity, or what can be broadly described as "prosocial behavior"-acts that benefit others. The broad occurrence of generosity across species suggests that generosity may be an evolutionary adaptation that has helped promote the survival of these species-and our own. And sure enough, a host of studies have uncovered evidence that humans are biologically wired for generosity. Acting generously activates the same reward pathway that is