Altruism and Empathy Saturday, June 8th 2:30 - 4:30PM Past Event Watch the video » Is selflessness a necessary illusion? Are we condemned to weigh the costs (whether consciously or not) of the welfare of others against the benefits to ourselves ? We develop a “theory of mind” around age three, concurrently building our capacity to recognize emotions experienced by others. In other words, we begin to develop empathy, the sine qua non of compassion, and hence, of altruism. But if altruism is evolutionarily adaptive, as many believe, can it be unadulterated by self-interest? Or might acts of altruism truly reveal “the better angels of our nature”? Free and open to the public. Participants: Stephanie Brown Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine , SUNY Stony Brook Stephanie Brown is an Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Dr. Brown’s research currently focuses on the neuro-affective mechanisms underlying altruistic and prosocial behavior. She examines (a) the role that other-focused motivational states play in stress… read more » Lisa Cataldo Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Fordham University Lisa Cataldo, M.Div., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Fordham University Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, where she directs the Clinical Program and teaches courses in Clinical Practice, Professional Ethics, Psychology and Religion, and Trauma. She is a licensed psychoanalyst, and is a supervisor and faculty member… read more » Alan Leslie Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Rutgers University Alan Leslie is a Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Rutgers University, where he directs the Cognitive Development Laboratory. A Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Professor Leslie investigates the developmental neurocognitive mechanisms and domain-specialized learning involved in abstract ideation emerging early in life such… read more » Wynn Schwartz Clinical psychologist and research psychoanalyst, The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology Wynn Schwartz, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and research psychoanalyst on the core faculty of The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and on the faculties of Harvard Medical School and The Harvard Extension School. He is a coeditor of Advances in Descriptive Psychology. He has been a professor at Wellesley College and has taught at the Boston… read more »
Stephanie Brown Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine , SUNY Stony Brook Stephanie Brown is an Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Dr. Brown’s research currently focuses on the neuro-affective mechanisms underlying altruistic and prosocial behavior. She examines (a) the role that other-focused motivational states play in stress… read more »
Lisa Cataldo Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Fordham University Lisa Cataldo, M.Div., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Fordham University Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, where she directs the Clinical Program and teaches courses in Clinical Practice, Professional Ethics, Psychology and Religion, and Trauma. She is a licensed psychoanalyst, and is a supervisor and faculty member… read more »
Alan Leslie Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Rutgers University Alan Leslie is a Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Rutgers University, where he directs the Cognitive Development Laboratory. A Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Professor Leslie investigates the developmental neurocognitive mechanisms and domain-specialized learning involved in abstract ideation emerging early in life such… read more »
Wynn Schwartz Clinical psychologist and research psychoanalyst, The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology Wynn Schwartz, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and research psychoanalyst on the core faculty of The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and on the faculties of Harvard Medical School and The Harvard Extension School. He is a coeditor of Advances in Descriptive Psychology. He has been a professor at Wellesley College and has taught at the Boston… read more »