
Altruism and Altruistic Love
Science, Philosophy, and Religion in Dialogue
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 18. April 2002
Book
Hardback
522 pages
978-0-19-514358-4 (ISBN)
Description
The concept of altruism, or disinterested concern for another's welfare, has been discussed by everyone from theologians to psychologists to biologists. In this book, evolutionary, neurological, developmental, psychological, social, cultural, and religious aspects of altruistic behavior are examined. It is a collaborative examination of one of humanity's essential and defining characteristics by renowned researchers from various disciplines. Their integrative dialogue illustrates that altruistic behavior is a significant mode of expression that can be studied by various scholarly methods and understood from a variety of perspectives in both the humanities and the sciences. Altruism and Altruistic Love establishes a framework for scholarship on altruism by presenting definitions, a historical overview, a review of contemporary research, and debates in various disciplines, as well as a discussion of directions for future work.
Reviews / Votes
"My brief review cannot do justice to a book of this magnitude. This is a sincere and scholarly effort to build dialogue where there has been very little. Though dense, it is well written and well edited. ... There is a remarkable amount of continuity and coherence for an edited volume. For researchers on topics such as altruism, volunteering, and organizational citizenship behavior, this volume provides a rich and eclectic trove of ideas and referencematerial."--Personnel Psychology
"This comprehensive overview of current research and thinking about altruism as a vital ethical concern in human affairs is must reading and valuable source material for serious students of these problems."--Theological Studies
"The concept of altruism, or other-centered love and concern, continues to be a critical point of intersection for scientists, ethicists and theologians. Altruism and Altruistic Love (2002) attempts to address the variety of approaches to this multidisciplinary issue. Stephen Post, a Science & Theology News columnist, and colleagues offer profound and inspiring essays that explore the way we think about human altruistic
behavior."--Science & Theology News
"My brief review cannot do justice to a book of this magnitude. This is a sincere and scholarly effort to build dialogue where there has been very little. Though dense, it is well written and well edited. ... There is a remarkable amount of continuity and coherence for an edited volume. For researchers on topics such as altruism, volunteering, and organizational citizenship behavior, this volume provides a rich and eclectic trove of ideas and reference
material." --Personnel Psychology
"This comprehensive overview of current research and thinking about altruism as a vital ethical concern in human affairs is must reading and valuable source material for serious students of these problems."--Theological Studies
"The concept of altruism, or other-centered love and concern, continues to be a critical point of intersection for scientists, ethicists and theologians. Altruism and Altruistic Love (2002) attempts to address the variety of approaches to this multidisciplinary issue. Stephen Post, a Science & Theology News columnist, and colleagues offer profound and inspiring essays that explore the way we think about human altruistic behavior."--Science &
Theology News
"Altogether, the book is a highly interesting read on diverse perspectives on the topic of altruistic love....[T]his collection of essays comes a long way in making a case for unselfish behavior that is as much grounded in cogent philosophical analysis as it is informed by modern evolutionary theory."--Human Nature Review
"This book will probably be of most interest to those engaged in human and women's rights struggles and other political issues, as well as other academic philosophers. A philosophically careful, victim-centered theory of evil clearly speaks to both contemporary events and social theories, and at the core, 'The Atrocity Paradigm' is a useful and provocative starting point for this discussion." --SF Gate
"This comprehensive overview of current research and thinking about altruism as a vital ethical concern in human affairs is must reading and valuable source material for serious students of these problems."--Theological Studies
"The concept of altruism, or other-centered love and concern, continues to be a critical point of intersection for scientists, ethicists and theologians. Altruism and Altruistic Love (2002) attempts to address the variety of approaches to this multidisciplinary issue. Stephen Post, a Science & Theology News columnist, and colleagues offer profound and inspiring essays that explore the way we think about human altruistic
behavior."--Science & Theology News
"My brief review cannot do justice to a book of this magnitude. This is a sincere and scholarly effort to build dialogue where there has been very little. Though dense, it is well written and well edited. ... There is a remarkable amount of continuity and coherence for an edited volume. For researchers on topics such as altruism, volunteering, and organizational citizenship behavior, this volume provides a rich and eclectic trove of ideas and reference
material." --Personnel Psychology
"This comprehensive overview of current research and thinking about altruism as a vital ethical concern in human affairs is must reading and valuable source material for serious students of these problems."--Theological Studies
"The concept of altruism, or other-centered love and concern, continues to be a critical point of intersection for scientists, ethicists and theologians. Altruism and Altruistic Love (2002) attempts to address the variety of approaches to this multidisciplinary issue. Stephen Post, a Science & Theology News columnist, and colleagues offer profound and inspiring essays that explore the way we think about human altruistic behavior."--Science &
Theology News
"Altogether, the book is a highly interesting read on diverse perspectives on the topic of altruistic love....[T]his collection of essays comes a long way in making a case for unselfish behavior that is as much grounded in cogent philosophical analysis as it is informed by modern evolutionary theory."--Human Nature Review
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
2pp colour plates and 5 figures
Dimensions
Height: 163 mm
Width: 236 mm
Thickness: 41 mm
Weight
973 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-514358-4 (9780195143584)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Stephen G. Post | Lynn G. Underwood | Jeffrey P. Schloss
Altruism and Altruistic Love
Science, Philosophy, and Religion in Dialogue
E-Book
03/2002
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€66.49
Available for download
Persons
Editor
Professor and Associate Director for Educational ProgramsProfessor and Associate Director for Educational Programs, Case Western Reserve University
Vice PresidentVice President, Fetzer Institute
Professor of BiologyProfessor of Biology, Westmont College
Physician and Lecturer in the Program in Human BiologyPhysician and Lecturer in the Program in Human Biology, Stanford University
Content
Part 1: Definitions ; 1. The ABCs of Altruism ; 2. Pythagorean Bodies and the Body of Altruism ; 3. Morality, Altruism and Love ; 4. The Tradition of Agape ; Part 2: Human Motivation and Action ; 5. The Human Experience of Compassionate Love: Conceptual Mapping and Data from Selected Studies ; 6. Addressing the Altruism Question Experimentally ; 7. Explicating Altruism ; 8. Extraordinary Acts of Ordinary People: Faces of Heroism and Altruism ; Part 3: Evolutionary Biology ; 9. A Darwinian Naturalist's Perspective on Altruism ; 10. Relating Self, Others, and Sacrifice in the Ordering of Love ; 11. The Fall and Rise and Fall and Rise and Fall and Rise of Altruism in Evolutionary Biology ; 12. Some Obstacles to Altruism ; 13. Emerging Accounts of Altruism: "Love Creation's Final Law"? ; Part 4: The Science of Altruism ; 14. Implications for the Neurobiology of Love ; 15. A Note on the Neurobiology of Emotion ; 16. Impairment of Interpersonal Social Behavior Caused by Acquired Brain Damage ; 17. The Communication of Emotions and the Possibility of Empathy in Animals ; 18. Empathy, Evolution and Altruism ; Part 5: Religion ; 19. Science and Religion on the Nature of Love ; 20. Separation, Attachment, and Altruistic Love: The Evolutionary Basis for Medical Caring ; 21. Compassion out of Wisdom: Buddhist Perspectives from the Past toward the Human Future