Professor Victor Kumar co-authors Boston Globe Article
Professor Victor Kumar, along with his co-author Richmond Campbell, had an article published in the Boston Globe entitled, “Humans aren’t born selfish — just the opposite — and that’s reason for hope.” The article, appearing in the Perspectives section of the Globe’s Magazine, explores how the deep-rooted morality of humans will be a key tool in fighting climate change, challenging the general public opinion that portrays otherwise. Writes Kumar and Campbell:
“As we come face to face with this dire scenario [of causing climate change], a dominant narrative has emerged — one we hear everywhere, from our students or implicit in films such as the recent climate apocalypse comedy Don’t Look Up. The narrative is this: Humans are naturally selfish, unable to overcome our ingrained greed — for oil, or money, or meat — in time to prevent the catastrophe that we know is coming.
Ever since Darwin, many scientists — and many other people — have assumed natural selection is antithetical to morality…
But this story misses something, simultaneously dooming us and letting us off the hook… Humans are not only innately moral, but also possess capacities for improving their morality.”
Professor Kumar has also recently co-authored a book with Dr. Campbell, a professor emeritus at Dalhousie University, called “A Better Ape: The Evolution of the Moral Mind and How it Made us Human”. Click here to learn more about the book!
Click here to read the Boston Globe article.
Congratulations, Professor!