Cheshire Calhoun, a philosophy professor at Arizona State University, is fascinated by kindness.
Calhoun’s area of expertise is called “moral philosophy,” and she says that over the years, the field has narrowed its focus too much. Many of her colleagues have grown fixated on what she calls “non-elective moral behaviors” — questions like: What makes us obey street signs or refrain from shoplifting?
Those behaviors may be moral, but they’re not necessarily motivated by kindness.
Calhoun is more interested in elective moral behaviors, things like volunteer work, or asking, with genuine concern, after a friend’s sick parent. She says these are examples of positive moral philosophy — a new branch of academic study she’s looking to establish at the university level. She wants to focus on what motivates the small but significant positive social behaviors we often overlook. Calhoun joined The Show to talk about it.