Why People Do "Evil" Things (The Psychology of Empathy) - Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 4, 2026 · 47 MIN

Why People Do "Evil" Things (The Psychology of Empathy) - Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen

from The Human Podcast

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MloFCML_Y7EIn this episode, I sit down again with Professor Simon Baron-Cohen of Cambridge University - one of the world's leading psychologists, and author of Zero Degrees of Empathy.Is evil the best way to explain people who do cruel things? Simon argues that what we call "evil" is actually rooted in low empathy, not some inherent darkness. We explore the science behind empathy, examine the minds of psychopaths, narcissists, and those with borderline personality disorder (BPD), discuss what causes empathy to break down, and explore how we should respond to those behaving badly.The Human Podcast explores stories & ideas about being human.Timestamps0:00 - Do evil people exist?Watch Previous Episode with Simon: https://youtu.be/fwC1rzgmPtwGuest - Simon Baron-Cohen𝕏: https://twitter.com/sbaroncohenWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Baron-CohenZero Degrees of Empathy Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zero-Degrees-Empathy-Simon-Baron-Cohen/dp/0141017961The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Evil-Empathy-Origins-Cruelty/dp/0465031420/Uni of Cambridge Bio - https://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/people/simon-baron-cohenAutism Research Centre (ARC) - https://www.autismcentreofexcellence.orgThe Human Podcast𝕏 - https://twitter.com/heyhumanpodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thehumanpodcastinstaSupport the show - https://buymeacoffee.com/thehumanpodcastMusic LicenseSyncID - MB01JIHRGHQFBB8

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Why People Do "Evil" Things (The Psychology of Empathy) - Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen

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Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MloFCML_Y7EIn this episode, I sit down again with Professor Simon Baron-Cohen of Cambridge University - one of the world's leading psychologists, and author of Zero Degrees of Empathy.Is evil the best way to...

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