March 2019 Philosophy Mini-Drive-In (Altruism)

In this TED Talk & Philosophy inspired movie night facilitated by Thomas Baumeister, we explored questions about altruism through the practice of socratic inquiry. Primed by a scholarly TED Talk discussion by Matthieu Ricard, we looked at the nature of consciousness, its function and evolution, and more. Access resources here!

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Eulogy Virtues: Cultivating an Inner Light

Merlin MCC | Cultivating an Inner Light

Living a virtuous life involves much more than what’s included on a resume.  It involves cultivation of a particular sort — a striving for and obtaining of what David Brooks — New York Times columnist and author — refers to as ‘eulogy virtues.’  In a heartfelt discussion about the sorts…

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Can Awe Promote Altruism & Prosocial Behavior?

Merlin MCC | Scholarly Articles | General

Awe, the Small Self, and Prosocial Behavior Piff, Paul K., Pia Dietze, Matthew Feinberg, Daniel M. Stancato, and Dacher Keltner, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 108:6 (2015): 883-889. ABSTRACT:  Awe is an emotional response to perceptually vast stimuli that transcend current frames of reference. Guided by conceptual analyses of…

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