The origins of virtue: human instincts and the evolution of cooperation Ridley, Matt

Table Of Contents

The Origins of Virtue Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter 1: The Society of Genes
Chapter 2: The Division of Labour
Chapter 3: The Prisoner’s Dilemma
Chapter 4: Telling Hawks from Doves
Chapter 5: Duty and the Feast
Chapter 6: Public Goods and Private Gifts
Chapter 7: Theories of Moral Sentiments
Chapter 8: The Tribal Primates
Chapter 9: The Source of War
Chapter 10: The Gains from Trade
Chapter 11: Ecology as Religion
Chapter 12: The Power of Property
Chapter 13: Trust
Sources and Notes
Index

If, as Darwin suggests, evolution relentlessly encourages the survival of the fittest, why are humans compelled to live in cooperative, complex societies? In this fascinating examination of the roots of human trust and virtue, a zoologist and former American editor of the Economist reveals the results of recent studies that suggest that self-interest and mutual aid are not at all incompatible. In fact, he points out, our cooperative instincts may have evolved as part of mankind?s natural selfish behavior–by exchanging favors we can benefit ourselves as well as others.Brilliantly orchestrating the newest findings of geneticists, psychologists, and anthropologists, The Origins of Virtue re-examines the everyday assumptions upon which we base our actions towards others, whether in our roles as parents, siblings, or trade partners. With the wit and brilliance of The Red Queen, his acclaimed study of human and animal sexuality, Matt Ridley shows us how breakthroughs in computer programming, microbiology, and economics have given us a new perspective on how and why we relate to each other.


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