Paul Seabright
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780691195902
- eISBN:
- 9781400888528
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691195902.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter explores economist Paul Seabright's argument that there is a “darker dimension to what makes us human,” which Robert Boyd largely leaves aside. Human beings are the most ecologically ...
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This chapter explores economist Paul Seabright's argument that there is a “darker dimension to what makes us human,” which Robert Boyd largely leaves aside. Human beings are the most ecologically adaptable and massively cooperative species on the planet. Seabright argues that humans are also the most spectacularly and violently competitive, and the most deviously manipulative of all species. This might seem an incoherent description, but in fact the latter qualities are deeply implicated in the former ones. It is precisely the fact of humans' extraordinary cooperativeness that allows them to create the massive resource gains that provoke their competitiveness and manipulativeness. Indeed, Seabright contends that “a much larger part of the communication that takes place around norms in most societies is about individuals manipulating other individuals” than one would think from Boyd's examples.Less
This chapter explores economist Paul Seabright's argument that there is a “darker dimension to what makes us human,” which Robert Boyd largely leaves aside. Human beings are the most ecologically adaptable and massively cooperative species on the planet. Seabright argues that humans are also the most spectacularly and violently competitive, and the most deviously manipulative of all species. This might seem an incoherent description, but in fact the latter qualities are deeply implicated in the former ones. It is precisely the fact of humans' extraordinary cooperativeness that allows them to create the massive resource gains that provoke their competitiveness and manipulativeness. Indeed, Seabright contends that “a much larger part of the communication that takes place around norms in most societies is about individuals manipulating other individuals” than one would think from Boyd's examples.
Andrea L. Glenn and Adrian Raine
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814777053
- eISBN:
- 9780814777077
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814777053.003.0008
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology
This chapter describes psychopaths who are not engaged in criminal behavior. These individuals can be found in all walks of society, and may include individuals of high social status such as ...
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This chapter describes psychopaths who are not engaged in criminal behavior. These individuals can be found in all walks of society, and may include individuals of high social status such as businessmen, physicians, scientists, and politicians. They are mainly characterized by traits of egocentricity, superficial charm, manipulativeness, lack of emotion, impulsivity, and irresponsibility, but may not have had any arrests or convictions. Such individuals are sometimes referred to as successful psychopaths—persons with high levels of psychopathic traits who are able to get by in society, often taking advantage of others, without ever coming into contact with the law. These noninstitutionalized individuals with psychopathic traits may not only outnumber the institutionalized psychopathic population, but also may in the long run become more dangerous and destructive to society.Less
This chapter describes psychopaths who are not engaged in criminal behavior. These individuals can be found in all walks of society, and may include individuals of high social status such as businessmen, physicians, scientists, and politicians. They are mainly characterized by traits of egocentricity, superficial charm, manipulativeness, lack of emotion, impulsivity, and irresponsibility, but may not have had any arrests or convictions. Such individuals are sometimes referred to as successful psychopaths—persons with high levels of psychopathic traits who are able to get by in society, often taking advantage of others, without ever coming into contact with the law. These noninstitutionalized individuals with psychopathic traits may not only outnumber the institutionalized psychopathic population, but also may in the long run become more dangerous and destructive to society.
Marcia Baron
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199338207
- eISBN:
- 9780190228446
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199338207.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter explores two matters only briefly touched on in earlier work: for purposes of clarity, in her “Manipulativeness,” Baron took a stand on whether manipulation requires intent and whether ...
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This chapter explores two matters only briefly touched on in earlier work: for purposes of clarity, in her “Manipulativeness,” Baron took a stand on whether manipulation requires intent and whether “manipulative” is best understood as allowing for the possibility that the quality or action described as manipulative is unobjectionable. This chapter revisits both issues, and explores in more detail what it means to say that manipulation requires intent. It argues that manipulation does require intent (though the intent need not be conscious); laying out and discussing various positions one might take on the moral status of manipulation, the chapter explores the possibility that (contrary to what appears in “Manipulativeness”) “manipulative” is not best understood as a moralized term and that manipulating another person is sometimes morally unobjectionable.Less
This chapter explores two matters only briefly touched on in earlier work: for purposes of clarity, in her “Manipulativeness,” Baron took a stand on whether manipulation requires intent and whether “manipulative” is best understood as allowing for the possibility that the quality or action described as manipulative is unobjectionable. This chapter revisits both issues, and explores in more detail what it means to say that manipulation requires intent. It argues that manipulation does require intent (though the intent need not be conscious); laying out and discussing various positions one might take on the moral status of manipulation, the chapter explores the possibility that (contrary to what appears in “Manipulativeness”) “manipulative” is not best understood as a moralized term and that manipulating another person is sometimes morally unobjectionable.
