Altruistic Behavior: An Inquiry into Motivation

An Inquiry into Motivation
Erscheinungsjahr 1995
ISBN: 978-90-5183-892-3
Verlag: Brill | Rodopi

Buch, Englisch, Band 35, 150 Seiten, Format (B × H): 150 mm x 220 mm

Reihe: Value Inquiry Book Series

This book is an inquiry into the motivation for altruistic behavior. It uncovers the condition that prompts or sometimes even compels us to act intentionally for the benefit of others. This condition, the pre-reflective experience of another person as a self-conscious individual just like oneself, finds its origin in the very structure of the mind. The essay is a synthesis of evidence from neuroscience, phenomenology, Eastern philosophy, analytic philosophy of mind, and cognitive psychology. Hence, it is an excellent example of work in applied cognitive science.
The book includes a critique of the several main approaches to the explanation of the motivation for altruistic behavior: biological, psychological, and philosophical. The path of the main inquiry produces several innovative proposals in the philosophy of mind in addition to the main conclusion. Included in these are a detailed account of the structure of the human mind, an ontological categorization of mental states, a naturalistic explanation of so-called mystical states, a proposal for the role of consciousness in the downward causation of physical events, a new interpretation of the Buddhist doctrine of no-self and a unique view of the nature of love.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Penner, Paul S.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword. Acknowledgements. ONE. Introduction. 1. The Problem. 2. Definitions and Presuppositions. 3. Multidisciplinary Approach. 4. Commonsense Insight into the Problem. 5. The Argument. TWO Extant Explanations for Altruistic Behavior. 1. Classification of Existing Explanations. 2. A Biological Approach to Altruism. 3. A Psychological Approach to Altruism. 4. A Philosophical Approach to Altruism. 5. Summary of Traditional Approaches. THREE The Structure of the Mind. 1. Implication of Realism for the Philosophy of Mind. 2. Scientific Evidence for Consciousness as an Emergent Property of the Central Nervous System. 3. Scientific Evidence for Presentation. 4. Scientific Evidence for Intentionality. 5. Phenomenological Analysis of the Constitution of Meanings. 6. Phenomenological Analysis of the Constitution of the Self. 7. Objections to the Argument for the Existence of the Self. 8. The Function of Consciousness and Its Relation to Downward Causation in an Emergentist View of Mind. FOUR Mental States. 1. Familiar Mental States. 2. Mystical States. FIVE Love. 1. An Analysis of Love. 2. Support for the Thesis in the Literature. 3. Objections to the Thesis. SIX. Altruistic Acts. 1. The Motivation for Acts of Altruism. 2. Evidence in Support of the Thesis. Notes. Bibliography. About the Author. Index