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Social Justice Research
Published in: Social Justice Research 4/2017

14-11-2017

The Neurobiology of Fairness and Social Justice: An Introduction

Authors: H. Hannah Nam, John T. Jost, Stanley Feldman

Published in: Social Justice Research | Issue 4/2017

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Abstract

The study of social justice has always been an interdisciplinary undertaking, but in recent years neurobiologists have joined scholars and scientists from other areas to tackle complex questions concerning fairness, empathy, equality, hierarchy, and ideological conflict and polarization. By synthesizing insights from multiple, mutually informative levels of analysis, it is possible to shed new light on basic biological processes that reflect, inspire, and inhibit the pursuit of a more just society. With this special issue we highlight groundbreaking research on the neurobiology of fairness and social justice, bringing together six articles that address core themes of social justice, including individual variability in definitions of fairness, the genetic basis of economic egalitarianism, neural bases of empathy in environmental and intergroup domains, and the neural and genetic correlates of ideological polarization. Taken in conjunction, these diverse contributions bring multiple theoretical perspectives and research methods to bear on the shared goal of understanding and promoting social justice.
next article Observing Environmental Destruction Stimulates Neural Activation in Networks Associated with Empathic Responses

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Metadata
Title
The Neurobiology of Fairness and Social Justice: An Introduction
Authors
H. Hannah Nam
John T. Jost
Stanley Feldman
Publication date
14-11-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Social Justice Research / Issue 4/2017
Print ISSN: 0885-7466
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6725
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11211-017-0296-z

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