Greater Good

Articles: We Are All Bystanders

But we don’t have to be. Dacher Keltner and Jason Marsh explain why we sometimes shackle our moral instincts, and how we can set them free.

Articles: The Prison Guard’s Dilemma

Articles: The Eye of the Storm

In Hurricane Katrina, photojournalist Ted Jackson did more than take pictures.

Articles: The Banality of Heroism

Circumstances can force almost anyone to be a bystander to evil, but they can also bring out our own inner hero. Zeno Franco and Philip Zimbardo show how we’re all capable of everyday heroism.

Articles: The Making of an Upstander

Articles: Handle with Care

To deal with everyday ethical problems, kids need more than just a simple list of rules or virtues, argues Nel Noddings. They need chances to talk through their problems with caring and engaged adults.

Articles: The Evolution of Empathy

We tend to think of empathy as a uniquely human trait. But it’s something apes and other animals demonstrate as well, says primatologist Frans de Waal. He shows how our evolutionary history suggests a deep-rooted propensity for feeling the emotions of others.

Articles: Book Review: Field Notes on the Compassionate Life

By Marc Ian Barasch
Rodale, 2005, 367 pages

Articles: The Chauffeur’s Dilemma

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting left behind. Why don’t more people stick up for fellow citizens facing hard times? Because, argues Arlie Hochschild, empathy is being squeezed from the American way of life.

Articles: Inspiring Good Work

Steroid abuse. Accounting tricks. Plagiarism. Budding professionals are learning these tricks of their trades from mentors, say researchers Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner. Who will inspire them to practice ethics and excellence on the job?

Articles: Book Review: The Hand of Compassion

by Kristen Renwick Monroe
Princeton University Press, 2004, 392 pages

Articles: The Morality of Global Giving

An interview with Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs

Articles: A Different View

How we can help children see the world from another perspective.

Articles: Wired to be Inspired

Ever feel a thrill when you see someone act with courage or compassion? Psychologist Jonathan Haidt calls that feeling “elevation,” and his studies of it may provide a key to understanding what inspires people to do good.

Articles: Book Review: Making Good

by Wendy Fischman, Becca Solomon, DeborahGreenspan, and Howard Gardner
Harvard University Press, 2004, 208 pages