From Vicarious Actions to Moral Behavior

Humans are highly social animals. The capacity to feel the inner states of others is important for human beings: it allows us to cooperate more effectively, and gives an edge in the competition between individuals. The aim of this paper will be to review some of the core empirical evidence for how our brain allows us to perceive the inner states of others. We will first review some of the core evidence for the fact that observing the actions of others recruits activity in neurons and brain regions involved in performing similar actions. We will then review evidence showing that viewing other individuals being touched, performing actions or experiencing bodily pain recruits brain regions involved in experiencing similar states. We will then review evidence for how we share the emotions of others, how this system is dysfunctional in psychopathic criminals, and how that suggests a separation between our ability for empathy and our propensity to use that ability. Finally, we will speculate about the relationship between the neural mechanisms for empathy that we have reviewed, and moral behavior.