Dark Nature: A Natural History of EvilBiologist and naturalist Lyall Watson now brings forth a stunning exploration of the origin and nature of evil. Plotting the evolution of human evil from earth's earliest creatures to the society we have become today, in Dark Nature Watson redefines good and evil in biological terms. Drawing on the latest insights of evolutionary ethology, anthropology, and psychology, he takes a fresh look at the problems our species faces as a result of being too numerous, too greedy, and too mobile. Watson utilizes a vast array of sources, from the theories of Charles Darwin to the writings of Annie Dillard, to examine the motivations and driving forces behind evil behavior as well as the invisible order that preserves the delicate balance between "civilized" society and anarchy. Dark Nature is a groundbreaking and fascinating work that takes evil out of the realm of monsters and demons and puts it squarely back where it belongs, in nature and in our lives. |
What people are saying - Write a review
DARK NATURE: A Natural History of Evil
User Review - Jane Doe - KirkusIs evil peculiar to humans? Or is it a force of nature, a biological reality with its own evolutionary influences, survival value, strange agenda? Such are the questions pondered by Watson (The Dreams ... Read full review
Contents
The Arithmetic of Evil I | 48 |
PART TWO HUMAN NATURE | 89 |
THREE | 104 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
aggression altruism animals Asmat baby become behavior biological breeding chicks child chimpanzees chimps common competition conflict cuckoos culture death Dennis Nilsen described Dorobo easy ecology eggs everything evil evolution evolutionary eyes face fact favor feel female genes genetic give going Goldilocks happens homicide human hyenas inclusive fitness individual inevitable infanticide involved James Bulger Jeffrey Dahmer killer killing kind least live look male mate meme moral murder natural selection nest never organic ourselves parents Pathics pattern percent perhaps play population possible predators produced rape reciprocal altruism reproductive result Richard Dawkins ritual rival Robert Thompson rules seems seen selfish Semai sense serial killers sexual simple social society Sociobiology someone sort species Spotted hyenas strategy suggests survival tendency things Thompson tion turn usually violence whales women wrong Yanomamo young
Bibliographic information
| Title | Dark Nature: A Natural History of Evil |
| Author | Lyall Watson |
| Publisher | HarperCollinsPublishers, 1995 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Jun 12, 2009 |
| ISBN | 0060176881, 9780060176884 |
| Length | 318 pages |
| Subjects | › › Social Science / Sociology / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |