The Oxford Handbook of the Human Essence

Abstract

What is the human essence? In this handbook, a broad range of scholars in psychology wrestle with this core question. The question is too infrequently asked within psychology, yet is one of central interest to students and scholars in psychology, philosophy, sociology, public health, anthropology, and cognitive science. This new and exciting handbook contains a diverse set of intriguing answers from cutting-edge social-psychological theorizing and research; raises novel and important questions about human nature; and identifies new directions for future inquiry. The chapters are written in an essay-like style that allows contributors to articulate what the human essence is without jargon or empirical details. Furthermore, this handbook uniquely brings together scholars who otherwise would not be found in conversation (e.g., evolutionary approaches to the human essence and social constructivist accounts that essentially deny its existence). Addressing the question of the human essence is absolutely vital because it promotes reflection and debate about human nature and existence, as revealed in discussant and concluding chapters. Thus, this volume articulates what psychology can tell us about the human essence and illuminates why a social science of human behavior should develop broader and integrative theories that acknowledge the many different essences that define us.