Robert Wright
1994 First Vintage Books
If we accept the theory of evolution as the explanation of how we came to be who we are, what does that tell us about our psychology and our morals? Has evolution fooled us to believe in free will? How much of our behaviour is evolutionarily justifiable? Why do so many religious sages preach the same morals?
Robert Wright cleverly weaves his answers using Darwin’s life and his work as an illustration. His answer is utilitarian, exceptionally well thought out and a little confronting. It could leave the reader feeling hopeless and fatalistic.
But the good news when we separate causes from outcomes we are left with the most intelligent and logical argument I have ever come across as to why it would be in all our interests to stop fighting and to start looking after each other.
More than that, in a time when we are flooded with reasons as to why we should worry about or prospects, Wright provides the human race with a rationally optimistic future that so far has an unbeaten track record… natural selection.
