I'm of the opinion that biology has more to do with it than anything else, and a little more than the article gives it credit for. While it is true that there is no Darwinian payoff for helping complete strangers, the mechanism is still there and will function in proper circumstances. By the same token, people also kill, rob, rape, and do other terrible things to complete strangers when the chips are down.
Never one to miss a chance to strike a blow for capitalism, whatever the topic, I was happy to see this:
Quote:
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Even the much-maligned force of capitalism might make us nicer. A recent study of 15 diverse populations, reported in the journal Science, found that the societies that treat anonymous strangers most fairly are those with market economies. As Robert Wright has emphasized, as people become increasingly inter-dependent, the scope of moral concern expands accordingly.
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Capitalism also creates the resources that make caring possible.