This text brings together an array of distinguished scholars to explore key concepts and findings of some of the most fundamental issues in social life: the conditions under which people are kind and helpful to others or, conversely, under which they commit harmful, even murderous, acts. The social contexts of good and evil behaviors are thoroughly examined, as are the influences of personality and cultural factors. Representing established and emerging social-psychological perspectives, the authors address such central questions as why good people do bad things and whether aggression with violence is an inescapable aspect of human nature. Yielding new insights into a topic of universal concern, and identifying important directions for further investigation, this book will be read with interest by researchers, scholars, and students in social psychology, sociology, and related behavioral and social science disciplines. It will serve as a text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses.