ALTRUISM IS BUILT INTO OUR BRAINS

Across the centuries, “good” behaviour was taught to be, most exclusively, a function of law, religion and society. When philosophers thought about the brain, they would tend to assume special, extraordinary functions to account for “good” behaviour.

The speaker for this lecture, Dr. Donald Pfaff, will argue that ordinary altruistic behaviour can explain without assuming any special properties beyond what is commonly accepted as neurophysiology. After good behaviour is explained in this way, the subsequent job of the neurobiologist is to explain the balance between traits that foster kind behaviour or aggressive behaviour.

Dr. Pfaff’s new book, The Altruistic Brain, cites the evidence for these statements and shows how they apply to problems in modern western societies.