The Moral Animal Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology

by WRIGHT, ROBERT

• ISBN13: 9780679763994
• ISBN10: 0679763996
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780307772749
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-08-29
• Publisher: Vintage
• More Book Details

Summary

Are men literally born to cheat? Does monogamy actually serve women's interests? These are among the questions that have made The Moral Animal one of the most provocative science books in recent years. Wright unveils the genetic strategies behind everything from our sexual preferences to our office politics--as well as their implications for our moral codes and public policies. Illustrations.

Author Biography

Robert Wright is the bestselling author of Three Scientists and Their Gods, The Moral Animal, Nonzero, and, most recently, The Evolution of God, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and his awards include the National Magazine Award for Essay and Criticism. A contributing editor for The New Republic, Wright has also written for The Atlantic Monthly, the New Yorker, Time, and Slate.com. He is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and editor in chief of the website Bloggingheads.tv. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey, with his wife and their two daughters.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Darwin and Us	3	(16)
PART ONE: SEX, ROMANCE, AND LOVE
Darwin Comes of Age	19	(14)
Male and Female	33	(22)
Men and Women	55	(38)
The Marriage Market	93	(15)
Darwin's Marriage	108	(20)
The Darwin Plan for Marital Bliss	128	(27)
PART TWO: SOCIAL CEMENT
Families	155	(25)
Darwin and the Savages	180	(9)
Friends	189	(21)
Darwin's Conscience	210	(19)
PART THREE: SOCIAL STRIFE
Darwin's Delay	229	(7)
Social Status	236	(27)
Deception and Self-Deception	263	(24)
Darwin's Triumph	287	(26)
PART FOUR: MORALS OF THE STORY
Darwinian (and Freudian) Cynicism	313	(14)
Evolutionary Ethics	327	(18)
Blaming the Victim	345	(19)
Darwin Gets Religion	364	(16)
Acknowledgments	380	(3)
Appendix: Frequently Asked Questions	383	(10)
Notes	393	(33)
Bibliography	426	(20)
Index	446	(19)
Illustration Credits	465