The Science of Evil Audiobook By Simon Baron-Cohen cover art

The Science of Evil

On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty

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The Science of Evil

By: Simon Baron-Cohen
Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
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Borderline personality disorder, autism, narcissism, psychosis, Asperger's: 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.

©2011 Simon Baron-Cohen (P)2011 Tantor Adolescent Psychology Children's Health Criminal & Forensic Psychology Developmental Psychology Ethics & Morality Law Mental Health Philosophy Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Science Special need Health Compassion Human Brain Thought-Provoking

Editorial reviews

Famed British psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen has spent the last 25 years publishing his research on theories of mind, consistently demonstrating that he is one of the most experimental and cutting-edge specialists in the field of cognition. The Science of Evil, published abroad as Zero Degrees of Empathy, brings together several strands of Baron-Cohen's work into a unified theory of human cruelty that describes empathy as a brain-based and therefore scientifically accessible phenomenon. East Sussex actor Jonathan Crowley does a superb job of conveying how groundbreaking and interesting Baron-Cohen's premise truly is. A frequent voice worker and recent winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award, Crowley is no stranger to the invigorating possibilities of scientific non-fiction narration. The psychologist makes it easy on him, with clear writing that explains cognition in everyday terms and with a view toward the practical applications of his theory.

Essentially, there are three diagnoses that have a lack of empathy in common: borderline personality disorder, narcissism, and psychosis. Each of these mental states is missing either the ability to recognize the feelings or others, or the ability to respond to those feelings, or both. This is Baron-Cohen's fundamental argument about the cause of human cruelty. Cruelty is only possible given a lack of empathy, and he devotes a chapter to each of these diagnoses. He devotes additional chapters to autism, the subject around which the majority of Baron-Cohen's research has long orbited. Because autistics are highly systematizing thinkers, they generally develop strong moral rules and a sense of injustice that is not premised upon having empathy, which is a characteristic they lack.

Crowley's lively rendering of the case studies for each type of person having zero degrees of empathy is deeply engrossing. Listeners will be shocked to recognize bits and pieces of their own less than understanding moments embedded in the anecdotal evidence provided here. The book concludes with a hint of the larger implications for a complete study of empathy as a brain-based behavior. Crowley delivers Baron-Cohen's final plea with all the earnest optimism it deserves: if we could use science to isolate the biological sources of empathy, we could eliminate cruelty, and voila -- world peace. —Megan Volpert

Critic reviews

"Baron-Cohen's professorial background shines through in the book's tone and in step-by-step, engaging prose urging both academic and lay reader alike to journey with him in scientific inquiry." ( Publishers Weekly)
Revolutionary Perspective • Thought-provoking Content • Excellent Narration • Valuable Insights • Clear Explanations
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Novel take on empathy, particularly for those of us who have studied psychology and are familiar with the disorders he's referring to. I had never thought of borderlines as lacking in empathy before -- I work with quite a few of them -- and it's a point of view worth considering. Not so sure that it adequately covers the subject of evil, though -- or perhaps it's just that it takes the punch out. If you want to get back on steady footing, watch Ted Bundy's swan song interview where he blames his crimes on the proliferation of pornography, saying he was just an

New take on a fascinating subject (i.e. evil)

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A must book when trying to understanding where evil comes from. Very insightful. Powerful message about empathy.

Powerful Information!

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Interesting book, however it was all about the psychology of empathy and not much on evil.

All About Empathy

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if you are interested in the why people do what they do aspect of life, this is an interesting take on the definition of evil and what may make them fall into this category. i don't agree that evil is equated with a lake of empathy, but Baron-Cohen has a compelling argument and research to back it up. He has done a good job of guiding you through what makes people lack empathy and what the impacts of it are in their lives/actions.

detailed, intelligently presented and interesting

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Presented a scientific case for evil that gave me a completely new perspective. Nonmember kg tot Togo. Ogle goal rod

Very interesting and informative.

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Would you listen to The Science of Evil again? Why?

Probably. To retain some of the details.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me think, which is no doubt more important.

Any additional comments?

The subject is an extremely important one that touches us all.

Well worth it

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Would you listen to The Science of Evil again? Why?

The science is amazing; his conclusion definitely opens up the topic to debate even if you don't agree but it will make a reader think deeply about the motivations behind human action

A perspective that is original

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Would you listen to The Science of Evil again? Why?

I might, because there was a lot of detail in places. There is a long section about which brain regions are responsible for empathy, which was hard to keep track of in an audio format if you're interested in that kind of thing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Science of Evil?

There were character studies of people who exhibited particular types of zero-empathy disorders (psychopathy, borderline, narcissism) that were moving and sometimes frightening.

Any additional comments?

This book can really change your way of looking at the world. It's well-argued and well-written. Very rare and fascinating. The reading is also excellent. I recommend it highly.

very interesting, excellent reading

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Simon Baron Cohen’s fundamental idea is that in order to prevent evil we must first understand its causes. How was Josef Fritzl capable of locking up his own daugter in his basement and then rape her on a daily basis for more than a decade? The typical reaction to this type of story is that Josef Fritzl is an evil man, and he did what he did because he was evil. But what does it mean when you say that someone is evil, and does deeming someone as an evil person have any positive side effects?

These are of course difficult questions and I don’t think that Baron Cohen provides a complete answer to them (which would have been a lot to hope for). What Baron Cohen does claim is that if we want to prevent evil we must first understand it. He further suggests that individuals, such as Fritzl, who commit horrendous acts probably suffers from a lack of empathy, that is a lacking ability to see the world from another persons perspective. Borderline patients, psychopaths and narcissists are three mental disorders that have a common feature, namely zero empathy. In other words they are more or less incapable of seeing the world from another persons perspective and therefore they may not get the same “gut response” when they hear about Fritzl.

Many people lack empathy, but not all of them endorse in “evil”. Other factors such as upbringing and attachments to caregivers can influence whether a person born with deficient empathy becomes an offender or learns how to follow the rules of society despite lacking some of the intuitions that derives from having empathy.

Simon Baron Cohen’s expertize lies in the field of autism which is another mental dissorders characterized by a lack of empathy. Individuals that have a autism spectrum dissorder (this category includes those with asperger syndrome), also behave in ways that reveal a lack of empathy, however, they are often good at systematizing, that is seeing relationships between various variables in the world. Because of this special ability they have benefited the world in many ways

Rather than deeming individuals evil, we should try to understand why evil acts are committed. To look at people with a severe lack of empathy is a good and plausibly fruitful starting point for such an endeavour.

Simon Baron Cohen, is a terrific writer with the ability to convey complex ideas and complex research findings in an accessible and easy to understand way. This book as well as “The essential difference” show that this is indeed the case.

Juicy, interesting and scientifically sound

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Learned so much about myself & others from this informative work. Thank you, Simon Baron-Cohen!

Possibly the best book I've ever read/heard...?

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