Baron-Cohen Simon. The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty

Basic Books, 2011. — 258 p.A groundbreaking and challenging examination of the social, cognitive, neurological, and biological roots of psychopathy, cruelty, and evil
Borderline personality disorder, autism, narcissism, psychosis: All of these syndromes have one thing in common--lack of empathy. In some cases, this absence can be dangerous, but in others it can simply mean a different way of seeing the world.In The Science of Evil Simon Baron-Cohen, an award-winning British researcher who has investigated psychology and autism for decades, develops a new brain-based theory of human cruelty. A true psychologist, however, he examines social and environmental factors that can erode empathy, including neglect and abuse.
Based largely on Baron-Cohen's own research, The Science of Evil will change the way we understand and treat human cruelty.Explaining “Evil” and Human Cruelty
The Empathy Mechanism: The Bell Curve
When Zero Degrees of Empathy Is Negative
When Zero Degrees of Empathy Is Positive
The Empathy Gene
Reflections on Human Cruelty