Cognitive neuroscientists use brain imaging and behavioral economic games to investigate people’s sense of fairness. They find it’s common to take care of yourself before looking out for others.
A still from the 1963 film of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
British Lion Film Corporation
Thomas Hobbes wrote that humans are motivated by self-interest. Often that means working together for the benefit of all.
To some, White House aide Jennifer Williams and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman are impartial truth-tellers; to others, they are power-hungry bureaucrats.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
Public officials are now in the spotlight: Does the public view them as professionals, bound by duty, or as elites who invoke ideals while pursuing their own agendas?
Standing up for what’s right can come with a cost to the individual – but also a benefit.
Michael Fleshman
It helps society function when people punish selfish acts, even at a personal cost. A new theory suggests third-party punishment also confers some benefits on the punisher.