
Contents
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Direct Antecedents of Empathy-Induced Altruism Direct Antecedents of Empathy-Induced Altruism
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Perceiving Another as in Need Perceiving Another as in Need
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Is innocence necessary for empathic concern? Is innocence necessary for empathic concern?
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Vulnerability. Vulnerability.
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Who can perceive another as in need? Who can perceive another as in need?
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The necessary cognitive abilities. The necessary cognitive abilities.
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Who has these abilities? Who has these abilities?
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Valuing the Other’s Welfare Valuing the Other’s Welfare
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Why not similarity instead of valuing? Why not similarity instead of valuing?
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Why not an imagine–other perspective? Why not an imagine–other perspective?
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Intrinsic, not extrinsic, valuing. Intrinsic, not extrinsic, valuing.
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A Likely Distal Antecedent A Likely Distal Antecedent
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William McDougall’s Parental Instinct and Tender Emotion William McDougall’s Parental Instinct and Tender Emotion
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The human parental instinct. The human parental instinct.
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Extending it. Extending it.
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Evidence Regarding Generalization of Tender Feelings and Parental Care Evidence Regarding Generalization of Tender Feelings and Parental Care
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Distinguishing Parental Care From Inclusive Fitness Distinguishing Parental Care From Inclusive Fitness
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An Experiment to Test for Generalized Parental Care An Experiment to Test for Generalized Parental Care
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Empathic concern felt for Kayla. Empathic concern felt for Kayla.
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Predictions and results. Predictions and results.
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Limits on Empathy-Induced Altruism Limits on Empathy-Induced Altruism
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The Scope of Empathic Concern The Scope of Empathic Concern
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Empathy Avoidance Empathy Avoidance
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The Strength of Competing Concerns The Strength of Competing Concerns
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Conclusion Conclusion
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Cite
Abstract
To conclude—even tentatively—that empathy-induced altruism is within our motivational repertoire poses a puzzle: How is it possible? This question demands an answer at two levels. We need to know (a) the conditions necessary to produce empathic concern and altruistic motivation in our lives today and (b) how altruism could have become part of our nature. The direct antecedents of empathy-induced altruism seem to be perceiving another as in need and valuing the other’s welfare. The most plausible distal (evolutionary) antecedent is generalized parental care. This care is different from the evolutionary biologists’ idea of inclusive fitness (care proportional to degree of kinship). An experiment that tested for generalized parental care is described. Finally, three limits to empathy-induced altruism are considered: the scope of empathic concern, empathy avoidance, and the strength to competing concerns.
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