Our better angels: Empathy, sympathetic reason, and pragmatic moral progress

Abstract

The article explores research on neuroscience, empirical psychology, and primatology supporting an emphatic understanding of human nature. Topics discussed include the Darwinian paradigm, the book "The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society," by Frans de Waal, and the loyalty of people to a nation, group, or religion. Also mentioned are the views of science journalist Maia Szalavitz, child psychiatrist Bruce Perry, and psychologist Steven Pinker on empathy.