Paul Bloom

We often think of our capacity to experience the suffering of others as the ultimate source of goodness. Many of our wisest policy-makers, activists, scientists, and philosophers agree that the only problem with empathy is that we don’t have enough of it. Nothing could be farther from the truth, argues Yale researcher Paul Bloom. In AGAINST EMPATHY, Bloom reveals empathy to be one of the leading motivators of inequality and immorality in society. Far from helping us to improve the lives of others, empathy is a capricious and irrational emotion that appeals to our narrow prejudices. It muddles our judgment and, ironically, often leads to cruelty. We are at our best when we are smart enough not to rely on it, but to draw instead upon a more distanced compassion. Basing his argument on groundbreaking scientific findings, Bloom makes the case that some of the worst decisions made by individuals and nations—who to give money to, when to go to war, how to respond to climate change, and who to imprison—are too often motivated by honest, yet misplaced, emotions. With precision and wit, he demonstrates how empathy distorts our judgment in every aspect of our lives, from philanthropy and charity to the justice system; from medical care and education to parenting and marriage. Without empathy, Bloom insists, our decisions would be clearer, fairer, and—yes—ultimately more moral. Brilliantly argued, urgent and humane, AGAINST EMPATHY shows us that, when it comes to both major policy decisions and the choices we make in our everyday lives, limiting our impulse toward empathy is often the most compassionate choice we can make.

The Case for Rational Compassion

Against Empathy

From the author of Against Empathy comes a different kind of happiness book, one that shows us how suffering is an essential source of both pleasure and meaning in our lives Why do we so often seek out physical pain and emotional turmoil? We go to movies that make us cry, or scream, or gag. We poke at sores, eat spicy foods, immerse ourselves in hot baths, run marathons. Some of us even seek out pain and humiliation in sexual role-play. Where do these seemingly perverse appetites come from? Drawing on groundbreaking findings from psychology and brain science, The Sweet Spot shows how the right kind of suffering sets the stage for enhanced pleasure. Pain can distract us from our anxieties and help us transcend the self. Choosing to suffer can serve social goals; it can display how tough we are or, conversely, can function as a cry for help. Feelings of fear and sadness are part of the pleasure of immersing ourselves in play and fantasy and can provide certain moral satisfactions. And effort, struggle, and difficulty can, in the right contexts, lead to the joys of mastery and flow. But suffering plays a deeper role as well. We are not natural hedonists--a good life involves more than pleasure. People seek lives of meaning and significance; we aspire to rich relationships and satisfying pursuits, and this requires some amount of struggle, anxiety, and loss. Brilliantly argued, witty, and humane, Paul Bloom shows how a life without chosen suffering would be empty--and worse than that, boring.

The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning

The Sweet Spot

Why We Like what We Like

How Pleasure Works

A leading cognitive scientist argues that a human sense of morality is genetically innate, drawing on years of original research at Yale to challenge psychological beliefs and explain how morality is a limited behavior that is subject to a natural hatred of different groups and a species-unique capacity for reason.

The Origins of Good and Evil

Just Babies

A compelling and accessible new perspective on the modern science of psychology, based on one of Yale's most popular courses of all time How does the brain--a three-pound wrinkly mass--give rise to intelligence and conscious experience? Was Freud right that we are all plagued by forbidden sexual desires? What is the function of emotions such as disgust, gratitude, and shame? Renowned psychologist Paul Bloom answers these questions and many more in Psych, his riveting new book about the science of the mind. Psych is an expert and passionate guide to the most intimate aspects of our nature, serving up the equivalent of a serious university course while being funny, engaging, and full of memorable anecdotes. But Psych is much more than a comprehensive overview of the field of psychology. Bloom argues that a number of widely accepted theories in the field are probably wrong, and he reveals what psychology can tell us about the most pressing moral and political issues of our time--including belief in conspiracy theories, the role of genes in explaining human differences, and the discussion around implicit racial bias. Bloom also shows how psychology can give us practical insights into important issues--from the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety to the best way to lead happy and fulfilling lives. Psych is a riveting guide to the most important topic there is: it is the story of us.

The Story of the Human Mind

Psych

Hazzin Bilimi

In a divided world, empathy is not the solution, it is the problem; a source of prejudice, not kindness. We think of empathy - the ability to feel the suffering of others for ourselves - as the ultimate source of all good behaviour. But while it inspires care and protection in personal relationships, it has the opposite effect in the wider world. As the latest research in psychology and neuroscience shows, we feel empathy most for those we find attractive and who seem similar to us and not at all for those who are different, distant or anonymous. Empathy therefore biases us in favour of individuals we know while numbing us to the plight of thousands. Guiding us expertly through the experiments, case studies and arguments on all sides, Paul Bloom ultimately shows that some of our worst decisions - in charity, child-raising, criminal justice, climate change and war - are motivated by this wolf in sheep's clothing. Brilliantly argued, urgent and humane, Against Empathy overturns widely held assumptions to reveal one of the most profound yet overlooked sources of human conflict. It demonstrates with absolute clarity that, when faced with moral decisions, we must choose reason and compassion, not empathy, as our guides.

All humans see the world in two fundamentally different ways: even babies have a rich understanding of both the physical and social worlds. They expect objects to obey principles of physics, and they're startled when things disappear or defy gravity. Yet they can also read emotions and respond with anger, sympathy, and joy.In Descartes' Baby, Bloom draws on a wealth of scientific discoveries to show how these two ways of knowing give rise to such uniquely human traits as humor, disgust, religion, art, and morality. How our dualist perspective, developed throughout our lives, profoundly influences our thoughts, feelings, and actions is the subject of this richly rewarding book.

How the Science of Child Development Explains What Makes Us Human

Descartes' Baby

How children learn words through sophisticated cognitive abilities that exist for other purposes.

How Children Learn the Meanings of Words

A Complete and Opinionated Tour of the Human Mind

Story of Us

Steven Pinker

Linguaggio naturale e selezione darwiniana

Przeciw empatii

Ray Jackendoff

John Macnamara

Karen Wynn

A wide-ranging collection of essays inspired by the memory of the cognitive psychologist John Macnamara.

Essays in Memory of John Macnamara

Language, Logic, and Concepts

La scienza del piacere. L'irresistibile attrazione verso il cibo, l'arte, l'amore

Un viaggio alla scoperta dell’evoluzione del linguaggio in termini selettivi che mostra come l’origine delle nostre capacità verbali debba essere interpretata in termini di complessità adattiva. La sofisticata organizzazione che riguarda il linguaggio indica che questo non è altro che il prodotto di una selezione naturale. Questa e altre questioni affrontate nel saggio restano, a vent’anni dalla pubblicazione, di straordinaria attualità nel dibattito teorico contemporaneo, evidenziando quanto il loro scritto rappresenti una pietra miliare nello studio dell’evoluzione del linguaggio.

Una fascinante aproximación a la ciencia del cerebro para entender por qué actuamos, sentimos y pensamos como lo hacemos ¿Cómo puede el cerebro, una masa arrugada, dar lugar a la inteligencia y la experiencia consciente? ¿Estaba en lo cierto Freud cuando afirmaba que estamos infestados de deseos sexuales prohibidos? ¿Cuál es la función de emociones como el asco, la gratitud o la vergüenza? Paul Bloom, eminencia en el área de la psicología, ofrece una detallada introducción al cerebro y su historia, explorando los aspectos más íntimos de nuestra naturaleza a través de la ciencia de la mente. Este libro no es sólo una panorámica del campo de la psicología, sino que se centra en argumentar que es muy posible que una serie de teorías —ampliamente aceptadas en la disciplina— sean equivocadas. Psico es una muestra de cómo la psicología puede brindarnos conocimientos prácticos sobre temas tan trascendentales como el tratamiento de enfermedades mentales, la depresión y la ansiedad, o la mejor manera de llevar una vida feliz y satisfactoria.

La historia de la mente humana

Psico

Are you a human? Do you have a mind? Then this book is for you. 'Like having the mind's complexities untangled by a witty, eloquent and deeply knowledgeable friend' OLIVER BURKEMAN 'Really wonderful, hugely readable ... loving it' DERREN BROWN Nothing is more familiar and yet less understood than the human mind. It defines the experience of being human, and yet its workings contain some of the deepest mysteries ever encountered. Written by one of the world's greatest teachers of psychology, The Human Mind provides a masterful and riveting guide to all that we have learned since modern science began probing those mysteries. How does a three-pound lump of grey-ish meat give rise to conscious experience? What is the function of emotions such as disgust, gratitude and shame? How do our biases affect us and how can we overcome them? How does the mind of a child differ from that of an adult? How does memory work? What causes mental illness? Are we rational? Are we all a little bit racist? What makes us kind? What makes us cruel? What makes us happy? Many of these questions now have answers; many others don't yet; many widely accepted theories are probably wrong. This book takes us to the very limits of what is known. It shines new light on all that you take most for granted: everything you think and feel, everything you say and do, everything that makes you you. 'The story of the human mind as told by psychology's best story-teller' DANIEL GILBERT

A Brief Tour of Everything We Know

The Human Mind

Respondendo questionamentos curiosos sobre a nossos desejos e atrações, Como o prazer funciona reúne e analisa aspectos do desenvolvimento infantil, da filosofia, da neurociência e da economia comportamental . Como o prazer funciona é um livro fascinante sobre os nossos prazeres mais misteriosos. Paul Bloom examina a ciência por trás das atrações e dos desejos, desde os instintos animais relacionados ao sexo e à comida até o gosto intelectual e exclusivamente humano pela arte, pela música e pelas histórias. O prazer é tudo, menos óbvio. Nossos desejos, nossas atrações, nossos gostos nos levam além da simetria de um rosto bonito, do deleite com o açúcar ou a gordura em um prato, ou da beleza de um quadro. O autor nos guia por um campo da psicologia humana até hoje muito pouco estudado, comprovando que nossa satisfação com uma coisa específica é determinada não pelo que podemos ver ou tocar, mas pelo que acreditamos sobre a história dela, sobre sua origem e sua natureza. Com base em percepções do desenvolvimento infantil, da filosofia, da neurociência e da economia comportamental, Como o prazer funciona mostra como certos hábitos universais da mente humana revelam por que gostamos do que gostamos.

Paul Bloom

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