The Heart of Altruism

Perceptions of a Common Humanity

Kristen Renwick Monroe

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English

Princeton University Press
29 September 1998

Ethics & moral philosophy; Sociology & anthropology; Political science & theory

"Is all human behaviour based on self-interest? Many social and biological theories would argue so, but such a perspective does not explain the many truly herioc acts committed by people willing to risk their lives in order to help others. In ""The Heart of Altruism"", Kristen Renwick Monroe boldly lays the groundwork for a social theory receptive to altruism by examining the experiences described by altruists themselves: from Otto, a German businessman who rescued over a hundred Jews in Nazi Germany, to Lucille, a newspaper poetry editor who, armed with her cane, saved a young girl who was being raped. Monroe's honest and moving interviews with these little-known heroes enable her to explore the causes of altruism and the differences between altruists and other people. By delineating an overarching perspective of humanity shared by altruists, Monroe demonstrates how social theories may begin to account for altruism and debunks the notions of scientific inevitability that stem from an overemphasis on self-interest. As Monroe has discoverd, the financial and religious back-grounds of altruists vary greatly - as do their views on issues such as welfare, civil rights, and morality.

Altruists do, however, share a certain way of looking at the world: where the rest of us see a stranger, altruists see a fellow human being. It is this perspective that many social theories overlook. Monroe restores altruism to a general theory of ethical political behaviour. She argues that to understand what makes one person act out of concern for others and not the self, we need to ask how that individual's perspective sets the range of options he or she finds available."

By: Kristen Renwick Monroe
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 482g
ISBN: 9780691058474
ISBN 10: 0691058474
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 29 September 1998
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Undergraduate , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

The Human Face of AltruismAcknowledgmentsIntroduction3Ch. 1The Puzzle of Altruism6Ch. 2The Entrepreneur27Ch. 3The Philanthropist41Ch. 4The Heroine63Ch. 5Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe91Ch. 6Sociocultural Attributes of Altruism121Ch. 7Economic Approaches to Altruism137Ch. 8Explanations from Evolutionary Biology161Ch. 9Psychological Discussions of Altruism179Ch. 10The Altruistic Perspective: Perceptions of a Shared Humanity197Ch. 11Perspective and Ethical Political Acts: Initial Thoughts217Conclusion233Notes239Bibliography271Index285

Kristen Renwick Monroe is Professor of Politics and Associate Director of the Program in Political Psychology at the University of California, Irvine. She is the author of Presidential Popularity and the Economy and editor of The Economic Approach to Politics: A Critical Reassessment of the Theory of Rational Action and The Political Process and Economic Change.

Reviews for The Heart of Altruism: Perceptions of a Common Humanity

Winner of the 1997 Best Book Award, American Political Science Association Winner of the 1997 Best Book Award, Political Psychology Section of the American Political Science Association

Winner of Best Book Award of the American Political Science Association 1997 (United States)
Winner of Best Book Award of the Political Psychology Section of the American Political Science Association 1997 (United States)