Cognition, Cultural Moments, and the Literary March Toward Civil Rights

In this visionary book, Michael O’Neill contends that literary fiction may enable individuals to transcend tribe-centered biases by fostering empathetic understanding. Drawing from a wealth of neuroscience research, it investigates how relatable and emotionally resonant characters can encourage readers to identify with others whose lives are markedly different from their own. O’Neill explores the psychology behind group formation and the associated problem of racial bias and then offers a theore