The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule

Michael Shermer

Macmillan, Jan 2, 2005 - Philosophy - 368 pages

From bestselling author Michael Shermer, an investigation of the evolution of morality that is "a paragon of popularized science and philosophy" The Sun (Baltimore)

A century and a half after Darwin first proposed an "evolutionary ethics," science has begun to tackle the roots of morality. Just as evolutionary biologists study why we are hungry (to motivate us to eat) or why sex is enjoyable (to motivate us to procreate), they are now searching for the very nature of humanity.

In The Science of Good and Evil, science historian Michael Shermer explores how humans evolved from social primates to moral primates; how and why morality motivates the human animal; and how the foundation of moral principles can be built upon empirical evidence.

Along the way he explains the implications of scientific findings for fate and free will, the existence of pure good and pure evil, and the development of early moral sentiments among the first humans. As he closes the divide between science and morality, Shermer draws on stories from the Yanamamö, infamously known as the "fierce people" of the tropical rain forest, to the Stanford studies on jailers' behavior in prisons. The Science of Good and Evil is ultimately a profound look at the moral animal, belief, and the scientific pursuit of truth.

What people are saying

Review: The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule

User Review  - Jorge - Goodreads

The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule by Michael Shermer "The Science of Good and Evil" is an interesting book on the study of morality. It's ...

Review: The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule

User Review  - Ria Alexandra - Goodreads

So to say that morality(good vs. evil) is up to the individual would undermine any set of laws developed. reason being that if I honestly believe that murder is right, and to not murder is wrong, I ...

Contents

• ONE LONG ARGUMENT: 1
• THE ORIGINS OF MORALITY: 13
• TRANSCENDENT MORALITY HOW EVOLUTION ENNOBLES ETHICS: 15
• WHY WE ARE MORAL THE EVOLUTIONARY ORIGINS OF MORALITY: 24
• WHY WE ARE IMMORAL WAR VIOLENCE AND THE IGNOBLE SAVAGE WITHIN: 65
• MASTER OF MY FATE MAKING MORAL CHOICES IN A DETERMINED UNIVERSE: 105
• A SCIENCE OF PROVISIONAL ETHICS: 139
• CAN WE BE GOOD WITHOUT GOD? SCIENCE RELIGION AND MORALITY: 141
• HOW WE ARE MORAL ABSOLUTE RELATIVE AND PROVISIONAL ETHICS: 157
• HOW WE ARE IMMORAL RIGHT AND WRONG AND WRONG AND HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE: 181
• RISE ABOVE TOLERANCE FREEDOM AND THE PROSPECTS FOR HUMANITY: 223
• THE DEVIL UNDER FORM OF BABOON THE EVOLUTION OF EVOLUTIONARY ETHICS: 265
• MORAL AND RELIGIOUS UNIVERSALS AS A SUBSET OF HUMAN UNIVERSALS: 285
• NOTES: 293

About the author

Michael Shermer is the author of The Believing Brain, Why People Believe Weird Things, The Science of Good and Evil, The Mind Of The Market, Why Darwin Matters, Science Friction, How We Believe and other books on the evolution of human beliefs and behavior. He is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, the editor of Skeptic.com, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and an adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University. He lives in Southern California.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule; A Holt paperback; An owl book
• Author: Michael Shermer
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Macmillan, 2005
• ISBN: 0805077693, 9780805077698
• Length: 368 pages
• Subjects: Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy; Philosophy / General; Philosophy / Good & Evil; Psychology / General; Science / Essays; Science / Life Sciences / Evolution