The Oxford Handbook of the Human Essence

What is the human essence? Although typically viewed as one of the big questions in philosophy, exploring the human essence requires a deep and comprehensive understanding of the human condition and thus social psychological perspectives are pivotal. Advances in social-psychological theorizing and research suggest that humans can be viewed as biological beings as well as cultural creatures, rational reasoners as well as emotional enigmas, moral minds as well as amoral agents.

In this volume, talented scholars come together to present a fascinating array of insight into such topics ranging from evolutionary approaches to social constructivist accounts that essentially deny the existence of a human essence altogether. As such, this volume showcases the various shades of human essence that social psychology has discovered.

Through these novel chapters, edited by Martijn van Zomeren and John F. Dovidio, The Oxford Handbook of the Human Essence expertly articulates both what social psychology can tell us about the human essence, and the astonishing range of perspectives reflected within this field. Consequently, this volume also raises important questions about the future of social psychology and the role of the notion of the human essence.

Martijn van Zomeren is Professor of Cultural and Political Psychology of Social Relationships at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. He received his PhD cum laude from the University of Amsterdam in 2006, received various dissertation awards, early career awards, and grants, and is an international expert on collective action, activism and social change. The main theme in his work is the importance of theoretical integration in the various fields that he has contributed to, as reflected in his 2016 book, published by Cambridge University Press, entitled From Self to Social Relationships: An Essentially Relational Perspective on Social Motivation.

John F. (Jack) Dovidio, who received his PhD from the University of Delaware in 1977, is currently the Carl Iver Hovland Professor of Psychology and Public Health, as well as Dean of Academic Affairs of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale University. His research interests are in stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination; social power and nonverbal communication; and altruism and helping. His scholarship focuses on understanding the dynamics of intergroup relations and ways to reduce intergroup bias and conflict.

Preface

Chapter 1: Introduction: The Human Essence
John F. Dovidio and Martijn Van Zomeren

SECTION ONE: INDIVIDUALITY

Chapter 2: An Existential Psychological Perspective on the Human Essence
Daniel Sullivan and Roman Palitsky

Chapter 3: Masters of Our Universe: The Existential Animal
Travis Proulx

Chapter 4: Free Will and the Human Essence: Responsible Autonomy, Meaning and Cultural Participation
Roy F. Baumeister

Chapter 5: Essential Self-Evaluation Motives: Caring About Who We Are
Aiden P. Gregg and Constantine Sedikides

Chapter 6: The Tripartite Motivational Human Essence: Value, Control, and Truth Working Together
James F.M. Cornwell and E. Tory Higgins

Chapter 7: People as Penguins: Thermoregulation as Part of the Human Essence
Hans IJzerman and Lotje J. Hogerzeil

Chapter 8: The Obviousness and Obvious Limits of Individuality as Human Essence
Martijn van Zomeren

SECTION TWO: SOCIALITY

Chapter 9: Prosocial Behavior as a Human Essence
David A. Schroeder and William G. Graziano

Chapter 10: The Human Essence in Helping Relations: Belongingness, Independence and Status
Arie Nadler

Chapter 11: Does Aggression Make us Human?
Joseph A. Vandello and Curtis Puryear

Chapter 12: Morality and Social Identity
Naomi Ellemers

Chapter 13: Justice and Human Essence
Tom R. Tyler

Chapter 14: Biology as Destiny or as Freedom? On Reflexivity, Collectivity and the Realization of Human Potential
Stephen Reicher

Chapter 15: Six Social Elements in Search of an Essence
Roger Giner-Sorolla

SECTION THREE: CULTURAL EMBEDDEDNESS

Chapter 16: Talking about Humanness: Is Human Essence Talk a Human Essence?
Yoshihisa Kashima

Chapter 17: Promotion or Preventing Change Through Political Participation: About Political Actors, Movements, and Networks
Bert Klandermans

Chapter 18: Values and the Human Being
Jan Cieciuch and Shalom H. Schwartz

Chapter 19: The Relational Essence of Cultural Psychology: Decolonizing Love and (Well-) Being
Glenn Adams, Sara Estrada-Villalta, and Tugçe Kurtis

Chapter 20: Human Essence: Toward a Relational Reconstruction
Kenneth J. Gergen

Chapter 21: Human Essences and Cultural Embeddedness: A Gene-Culture Co-Evolution Perspective
Ronald Fischer

Chapter 22: Human Essence in Conclusion: Why Psychology Needs a Bigger Picture and Some Suggestions on How to Get There
Martijn van Zomeren and John F. Dovidio