Why it endured
Robert Wright's landmark work of evolutionary psychology. He examines how natural selection shaped our emotions, relationships, and moral instincts — and why understanding our evolutionary origins is essential for understanding ourselves.
What they're saying
3 people recommend this book
“"The Moral Animal" explores questions of morality and ethics through the lens of evolutionary biology. Spicing up the book is a parallel thread that supports its evolutionary psychology conclusions with examples from Darwin's own personal life. If you enjoy thinking about evolution, the forces shaping our minds, feelings and instincts, and haven't read much about this topic before then you might enjoy it. However, if you've comfortable with the subtleties of the term "selfish" in "The Selfish Gene" you will find the first half repetitive and the second half overly hand-wavy, vague and unconvincing. Final recommendation: Go ahead if you'd like a quick intro to evolution and its effects on our minds. Expect to be tickled by arguments, but ultimately unconvinced of anything. 3/5”
“One might think what does the the ideas in The Moral Animal which is my favorite book of yours connect to your work on buddhism”
“An absolutely gripping dive into evolutionary psychology that explains the mechanics behind relationships, politics, and friendships through Darwin's own life as illustration. It's a hefty read but packed with the kind of "why" answers that make you rethink everything about human nature.”
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