Reddit reviews The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty

Lack of empathy. I'm reading http://www.amazon.com/Science-Evil-Empathy-Origins-Cruelty/dp/0465023533 right now and it's pretty neat actually.

I like the definition of evil as the lack of empathy and willingness to do harm to others. This was a good book on the subject http://www.amazon.com/Science-Evil-Empathy-Origins-Cruelty/dp/0465023533

There is mountains of evidence to support the fact that upbringing and parenting plays a very large role in the wiring of a child's brain.

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/10/132740565/closing-the-achievement-gap-with-baby-talk

http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/how-children-develop-empathy/

http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/dmessinger/c_c/rsrcs/rdgs/emot/McDonald-Messinger_Empathy%20Development.pdf

http://www.amazon.com/The-Science-Evil-Empathy-Origins/dp/0465023533

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy#Environmental

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_functions

Nope. Lack of empathy is integral to both autism and Asperger's. Simon Baron-Cohen goes into this in depth in The Science of Evil. He postulates that autism-spectrum sufferers are generally 'zero-positive' - persons who feel reduced or no empathy in social situations yet act morally due to their dependence on rationality.

Sociopaths are generally 'zero-negative' in that they have no difficulty reading and understanding the dynamics of social situations, but don't give a shit about others.

Check it out, it's a great book.