Are human beings inherently altruistic? At a time when Ayn Rand's selfishness-justifying philosophy is dominating congressional debate, the question is far from academic.
A just-published study—one in which participants both administered and endured painful electric shocks—provides a nuanced answer: While human beings have the capacity for genuine altruism, this impulse appears to have clearly defined limits.
Researchers from the University of California–Santa Barbara report we will forgo rewards to spare others from harm, but are largely unwilling to harm ourselves to benefit others.
[For more of this story, written by Tom Jacobs, go to https://psmag.com/news/the-ang...snt-always-in-charge]
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