Episode · EconTalk · 2021-02-01
Books mentioned on Michael McCullough on the Kindness of Strangers
Author and psychologist Michael McCullough of the University of California, San Diego talks about his book The Kindness of Strangers with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. McCullough traces the history of human empathy and tries to explain why we care about the welfare of people we don't even know.
Russ Roberts discussed The Kindness of Strangers by Michael E. McCullough. Michael McCullough discussed The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith and No Two Alike by Judith Rich Harris.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Kindness of Strangers
The Kindness of Strangers by Michael E.
Discussed“his latest book and the subject of today's conversation is the kindness of strangers how a selfish ape invented a new moral code”
Where to get it
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The Theory of Moral Sentiments
The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith is a seminal 1759 work of moral philosophy that examines the psychological foundations of human judgment, empathy, and social order.
Discussed“so seem to me in tms in the theory of moral sentiments smith is trying to bring several of these pieces together you know principle-based self-government government if you like and also a an endowment a natural endowment for compassion and sympathy”
Where to get it
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No Two Alike
Discussed“because you know as as judith rich harris talked about in her book um no two alike we end up um you know parents have surprisingly little direct influence”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Plugged The Kindness of Strangers
“so you look at you know i look at the research and you know and in um a chapter of the kindness of strangers called um the second humanitarian um big bang pardon me the the second poverty enlightenment which is how i described these last few decades of the 20th century”