Identification With All Humanity as a Moral Concept and Psychological Construct

Abstract

Studies of those who rescued Jews during the Holocaust suggest that their most shared quality was a sense "of belonging to one human family" (Monroe, 1996, p. 205), caring deeply about human beings without regard for their race, religion, or other distinction. In this article, we first note the development of the concept of "one humanity" since the late 15th century, and then we summarize recent work with a new measure of that caring-the Identification With All Humanity Scale (IWAH). Research with the IWAH establishes that identification with all humanity is more than (a) an absence of prejudice and its sources and (b) the sum of positive qualities, such as dispositional empathy and principled moral reasoning. Many people appear to intuit that a mature moral person would identify with all humanity, even when they do not do so themselves. Finally, a brief discussion is offered of how identification with all humanity may develop or could be taught.

Positive essentialization reduces prejudice: Reminding participants of a positive human nature alleviates the stigma of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) descent

“…Studies conducted by McFarland and colleagues (e.g., McFarland & Brown, 2008;McFarland, Brown, & Webb, 2013;McFarland, Webb, & Brown, 2012) reiterated this view by showing that global humanitarian concerns and international altruism are related to identification with all of humanity. When people have a sense of belonging to the one human family, they will display "a deep caring for all human beings regardless of their race, religion, or nationality" (McFarland et al, 2013, p. 194).…”

Being environmentally responsible: Cosmopolitan orientation predicts pro-environmental behaviors

“…They become more aware of their mutual interdependence and more motivated to engage in passionate efforts to contain environmental damage not just for the well-being of those in their own nation-state, but for the humanity as a whole (Koster, 2007). Cosmopolitan individuals' global humanitarian concerns to alleviate aversive environmental impacts on fellow human beings might have reflected their cardinal identification or sense of connection with the human race (e.g., identification with all humanity; see McFarland, Brown, & Webb, 2013;McFarland, Webb, & Brown, 2012). As they are more likely to show genuine concern for global humanitarian rights and needs, they care for the well-being of mankind by doing what they can to mitigate environmental degradation.…”

“…Both types of identity have been found to be associated with environmental concern and pro-environmental behavior (see Clayton, 2012). It is argued that the concept of CO, given its strong association with global identity and global citizenship (see Table 2), can be understood as a form of identity that emphasizes one's membership of and connection to the global community (see also Devine-Wright et al, 2015;McFarland et al, 2013). The environmental implications of this form of identity have rarely been considered in past studies, however.…”

Interest in and Awareness of French President Emmanuel Macron’s “Make our Planet Great Again” Initiative

“…However, one area that we did not explore is the concept of "identification with all humanity" (McFarland et al 2012). This idea posits that some individuals care deeply for all humans (McFarland et al 2013). Such individuals have a desire to help all humans (Maslow 1954), and therefore, might be more engaged in initiatives that benefit all humans.…”