Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Kindle
$19.99

Available instantly

Hardcover
$22.31

List Price: $36.00 Details

Save: $13.69 (38%)

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Thursday, April 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 7 hrs 54 mins

Select delivery location

Only 10 left in stock (more on the way).

$$22.31 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Thursday, April 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 7 hrs 54 mins

Select delivery location

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by jamhuri1957

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$17.20
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: Jazzyseller

Added

Not added

$22.30
FREE Shipping on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.

Sold by: MbBooks

Added

Not added

$22.31
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: DANACI

Follow the author

Christopher Boehm

Follow

Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame Hardcover – May 1, 2012

by Christopher Boehm (Author)

91

See all formats and editions

Savings Get 3 for the price of 2 Shop items

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$22.31","priceAmount":22.31,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"22","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"31","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"qeZW4g25xAtQVeAhwYZKziAYfQ7lO%2BdJfLXOMR2iDWJXyaT6FA2d%2FCGB8hhgQ0LvVL6UX0iMhjwBgnBLGd5zrb0%2FHxP3EjbLKnZKLxnXupGoqeOuEsteAL%2FF4N3kdGMbbssoE05%2FfSA%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.00","priceAmount":11.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"qeZW4g25xAtQVeAhwYZKziAYfQ7lO%2BdJNLx0iDWJw9HD42NgqgOCSVFtdNHcP%2FcWtfkg5pc3jPaB%2F8UaCz%2FgkwOmKAVFAFz36z7Qbl%2BNI1i72crQQWoQzMl9KbBrFdC%2FkHbobC%2FrcBYY97e%2FOwKGxnWkf0UNWN5ESUUNXO0LtiE0nX1rsu9N22%2Byl4Q3rAtD","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

From the age of Darwin to the present day, biologists have been grappling with the origins of our moral sense. Why, if the human instinct to survive and reproduce is "selfish," do people engage in self-sacrifice, and even develop ideas like virtue and shame to justify that altruism? Many theories have been put forth, some emphasizing the role of nepotism, others emphasizing the advantages of reciprocation or group selection effects. But evolutionary anthropologist Christopher Boehm finds existing explanations lacking, and in Moral Origins, he offers an elegant new theory.

Tracing the development of altruism and group social control over 6 million years, Boehm argues that our moral sense is a sophisticated defense mechanism that enables individuals to survive and thrive in groups. One of the biggest risks of group living is the possibility of being punished for our misdeeds by those around us. Bullies, thieves, free-riders, and especially psychopaths -- those who make it difficult for others to go about their lives -- are the most likely to suffer this fate. Getting by requires getting along, and this social type of selection, Boehm shows, singles out altruists for survival. This selection pressure has been unique in shaping human nature, and it bred the first stirrings of conscience in the human species. Ultimately, it led to the fully developed sense of virtue and shame that we know today.A groundbreaking exploration of the evolution of human generosity and cooperation, Moral Origins offers profound insight into humanity's moral past -- and how it might shape our moral future.

Print length

432 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Basic Books
Publication date

May 1, 2012
Grade level

11 and up
Reading age

13 years and up
Dimensions

6.55 x 1.5 x 9.55 inches
ISBN-10

0465020488
ISBN-13

978-0465020485
See all details

Frequently bought together

Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame

$22.31

Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 18

Only 10 left in stock (more on the way).

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

$29.99

Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 18

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

One of these items ships sooner than the other.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

Christopher Boehm
50
Paperback
31 offers from $34.75
Philip Kitcher
6
Paperback
22 offers from $21.96
Jonathan Haidt
154
Hardcover
in Parenting Teenagers
10 offers from $19.21
Todd Rose
440
Hardcover
105 offers from $4.76
Kent Flannery
82
Paperback
34 offers from $13.42

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Christopher Boehm's Moral Origins is a tour de force of a sort rarely seen in any science."―Donald Black, university professor of the social sciences, University of Virginia, and author of Moral Time

"[An] engrossing work.... Boehm does a remarkable job of extending previous work and incorporating a historical approach."―Publishers Weekly, starred review

"What sets Boehm's approach apart is his effort 'to make the natural history of moral origins more historical'. In so doing he provides a new and coherent map of the evolution of morality.... It is a complex story..., but Boehm's experience doing fieldwork with humans and wild chimps makes him a wonderfully knowledgeable guide. And some of his ideas are truly revolutionary."―New Scientist

"How did evolution produce a species that blushes? To explain the uniquely human moral sense, Boehm teases a provocative neo-Darwinian theory out of cutting-edge archaeological, anthropological, and psychological research.... Those looking for a daring new application of empirical science will find it here."―Booklist

"[A] provocative scientific contribution...to the millennia-long discussion about the nature of morality.... Thinkers everywhere will be forced--as they are in many arenas--to consider biology in realms that once seemed strictly matters of the heart and soul."―Michael Shermer, Wall Street Journal

"One rarely finds such a fully Darwinian, scientifically sound, and wisely accessible book for both professionals and lay audiences as Boehm's study of moral origins; it is far superior to any previous attempts to discuss the subject."―Choice

"Astronomers have the Hubble telescope to look back through time, and social scientists have Chris Boehm. Boehm's monumental accomplishment is to give us the most careful and compelling portrait ever created of how our ancestors lived, from three hundred thousand generations ago to five hundred generations ago. Boehm's work is vital for understanding why we are so tribal, punitive, gossipy, religious, and cooperative today."―Jonathan Haidt, professor of psychology, University of Virginia, and author of The Righteous Mind

"Few scientists have thought longer and harder about the origins of morality than Christopher Boehm, who brings to the issue a wealth of experience studying both humans and other animals. His thesis that our species has taken moral evolution into its own hands is new and refreshing."―Frans de Waal, author of The Age of Empathy

"Moral Origins is an exciting study on the evolution of human morality that is appropriate for scientific researchers and also of interest for the general public as well. Christopher Boehm brilliantly ties fundamental aspects of human cooperation such as altruism, free-riding, and bullying to both primitive and advanced societies. This book is a must for all who are interested in how human morality evolved and functions."―Ernst Fehr, professor of economics, University of Zurich

"In Moral Origins, Christopher Boehm uses his vast knowledge of the literature on primates and human hunter-gather populations to address the issue of the origins of human morality. It is a must-read for any social scientist, primatologist, or humanist studying human morality. Equally important, it is beautifully written in an easy and graceful style. Certainly the most informed and best work written by an anthropologist on this set of issues, Moral Origins is a book that I would recommend to any thoughtful person."―Jonathan Turner, distinguished professor of sociology, University of California, Riverside

About the Author

Christopher Boehm is Director of the Jane Goodall Research Center and Professor of Anthropology and Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Boehm' work has been featured in such publications as New Scientist, the New York Times, the Times (London), Natural History, Science News, and in films for National Geographic, Wild Kingdom, and the Discovery Channel.

He has lectured widely to groups as diverse as the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, the Chicago Academy of Sciences, the Sante Fe Institute, the Los Angeles and Cincinnati Zoos, and the Naval War College. Boehm is the author of many scientific articles and several previous books, including Hierarchy in the Forest (Harvard). He divides his time between Los Angeles and Santa Fe.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; 1st edition (May 1, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465020488
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465020485
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 11 and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.8 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.55 x 1.5 x 9.55 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #975,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,257 in General Anthropology
- #2,157 in Popular Social Psychology & Interactions
- #3,467 in Philosophy of Ethics & Morality

Customer Reviews:
91

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Christopher Boehm

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

To visit author's home page on the web:

The URL is: christopher-boehm.com

This website has pictures of field work, art work, and publications.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5

91 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Katharine Betts

A strong argument showing how conciences may have evolved

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

A good and stimulating book about how consciences might have evolved and thus acted as a prop for pro-social altruistic behaviour in the face of the stronger interests of egoism and nepotism. Our ancestors ganged up on bullies and either subdued them or killed them, by murder or expulsion from the group. Thus some aggressive genes were simply culled or only survived if coupled with self control. He sees bullying as a form of free-riding, and a very dangerous form. Other free-riders - cheats and sneak thieves could have been similarly punished, by a gang or mob. Hence he doesn't agonise about the individual costs of altruistic punishment. But mob rule does put a premium on communication - you need to make sure the mob is unified otherwise you'll simply start a civil-war-type split. (So here you do have an emphasis on group unity.) First big brains, then language. Both helpful in making sure the mob is as one before the attack. But with the acquisition of language you now have another form of social control - gossip and the threat of shunning or loss of reputation and status.

Boehm argues (convincingly) that it was this early emphasis on social control that gave us our conscience which, when it was fully developed, led us to identify with the group's norms emotionally.

(Chimpanzees have been observed to gang up and drive off or kill alpha male who've become a danger - but this only involves small groups of temporarily united subordinates who hope to seize the alpha crown for themselves. Human tribes were strongly egalitarian as far as adult males were concerned.)

He offers something of solution to the problem of whether we are innately hierarchical or not. There is a (male) tendency to seek status and domination but that is countered by resentment from subordinates who, in the past at any rate, ganged up to enforce egalitarianism.

I found his final chapter disappointing (“Epilogue: Humanity's moral future”]. It dwelt a lot on the threats of war and violence that we now face, and the hope that some global sense of sympathy and empathy might provide a way forward. This struck me as wishful thinking without the basis in evidence that he worked hard to assemble for his theory of the evolution of altruism. Also during the course of his book there had been almost no mention of inter-group violence as a formative force; it was all about intra-group violence and the violent and harsh suppression of bullies and free riders, in ways that would have affected the gene pool. Nothing much about intra-group violence and how that might have militated against culling aggressive men (and rewarding self-sacrifice).

The fact that he ignores inter-group conflict in the body of his work may explain his light touch approach to group selection. He doesn't dismiss it out of hand but he doesn't devote much space to it.

Boehm writes very well, making reading his work enjoyable.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

A

provocative

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is an author's speculation of where morals, shame, consciousness come from. He is clear to state what is supported by science and what are educated GUESSES. His writing is a bit challenging but a very good read overall if you are into evolution, anthropology, sociology...

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

John V. Wylie, MD

Best Book on Human Evolution

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2012

Verified Purchase

In "Hierarchy in the Forest, the evolution of egalitarian behavior" (1999,) Christopher Boehm brought to my attention the most important paradox to be solved in the subject of human evolution: how and why did hunter gatherer humans evolve egalitarian societies within their bands when those of chimpanzees (and Bonobos) are clearly hierarchical. As he points out, alone amongst all the books on how morality evolved that are endlessly focused on the abstractions of game theory and inclusive fitness, Boehm actually gives us an historical narrative about why it might have happened. He makes the case that it evolved due to the cooperative needs to share meat when big game hunting commenced about 250,000 years ago, similar to equitable meat sharing in other meat eaters like wolves and lions. In "Moral Origins," Boehm brings his argument up to date with what feels like his final statement. This is a marvelous book by a scientist who has committed his career to a vital question pertaining to human nature. Particularly admirable is the expression of the proper tone of scientific humility as to the tentative status of his hypothesis and that it gets the conversation going. It is not at all a criticism of this book to briefly state that my own view is that the "roughness" of the egalitarianism in late Pleistocene humans was a deterioration from total egalitarianism in Homo erectus, and that this breakdown was caused by increased sexual competition implicit in the changes that produced our own Homo sapiens species. The sole piece of evidence used to bolster increasing egalitarianism is a paper by Mary Stiner (2009) that demonstrates cut marks on bones were straight 200,000 years ago and "chaotic" 400,000 years ago indicating that they were done by many individuals. To read into straight cut marks the meaning of more equitable meat sharing is wrong in my judgment. Standardization is the hallmark of the onset of culture itself - standardization of the blades as well as how they were used. 400,000 years ago I believe that it wouldn't even have entered the minds of the many individuals who took part in the butchering to take more than their fair share for themselves or their own families.
This is a must-read book for anyone interested in human evolution. For a different view, click the link below, click on the author, John Wylie (twice) and check out the "about page" on the blog on the right side of my personal page.
Diagnosing and Treating Mental Illness, A Guide for Physicians, Interns, Nurses, Patients and Their Families, Updated Edition

37 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Evelyn

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on December 24, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great book on the origins of morality, equality and social punishment. Present some original research

et

Umfassende Analyse und Begründung für die Entstehung von Moral

Reviewed in Germany on October 1, 2014

Verified Purchase

Christopher Boehm befasst sich hier aus einer evolutionstheoretischen Perspektive mit der Frage, warum wir Menschen so seltsame Dinge wie Scham (Erröten), Altruismus und ein tiefgehendes Bedürfnis nach Fairness und Ehrlichkeit haben. Nach der rein biologischen Theorie der "egoistischen Gene" (Dawkins), gibt es ja keinerlei vernünftige Erklärung dafür, unbekannten Menschen in fernen Ländern zB nach einem Erdbeben oder bei einer Hungersnot Geld zu spenden. Und doch tun wir Menschen das immer wieder und fühlen uns gut dabei! Warum?

Diese Frage beantwortet Boehm umfassend, und zwar ausgehend von den frühen Jäger/Sammler-Gesellschaften. Solche "ursprüngliche" Stammesgesellschaften gibt es weltweit noch etwa 300, davon noch etwa 150 in einem "unverfälschten", d.h. noch nicht durch intensive Kontakte mit Industriegesellschaften beeinflusste. Diese noch "unentwickelten", d.h. noch nicht durch Ackerbau/Viehzucht, Zivilisation und Industrie veränderten Gesellschaften zeigen, wie alle unsere Homo-Sapiens-Vorfahren während Tausenden von Generationen gelebt haben.

Während wenigstens 150'000 Jahren haben sich Mechanismen und Verhaltensmuster in unseren Genen und Gebräuchen abgebildet, die auf das Leben als jagende und sammelnde Nomaden, ohne Hierachie, ohne Besitz und Eigentum zugeschnitten sind. Diese Verhaltensmuster wurden auch durch die knapp 10'000 Jahre "Zivilisation" seit der Erfindung von Ackerbau, Viehzucht und Schrift nur übertüncht, aber nicht grundlegend geändert. Sie wirken im unbewussten Hintergrund noch beinahe genauso stark, wie bei unseren Vorfahren - und unseren noch "ursprünglich" lebenden Mitmenschen im Busch, Dschungel und Steppen.

Für mich brachte die Lektüre eine überraschend aktuelle Einsicht - zum Thema NSA, CIA und andere Geheimdienste. Es hat mich immer etwas verblüfft, dass diese Geheimorganisationen offenbar keinerlei Hemmungen haben, mit ihren entsprechenden ausländischen Diensten zu kooperieren, aber sich mit Händen und Füssen wehren, wenn die eigenen Bürger gerne wissen möchten, was eigentlich läuft. Ebenso ist die sichtbare Abneigung aller Regierungen, der Deutschen genauso wie der Schweizerischen, gegen die NSA-Ausspähungen wirklich energisch und aktiv vorzugehen. Es scheint ja, als ob die Regierungen gar nichts gegen das Ausspionieren ihrer eigenen Bürger durch die NSA hat.

Boehm bringt indirekt die Lösung dieses Rätsels: Die regierenden Personen, die Machtfiguren haben tatsächlich eine tiefsitzende Angst vor dem Bürger! Diese geht auf die Zeiten der Jäger/Sammlergesellschaften zurück. Diese waren, wie Boehm an Beispielen und mit harten Daten zeigt, ausserordentlich egalitär orientiert. Jeder Versuch, sich aufzuspielen, Trittbrett zu fahren, andere zu drangsalieren, nur schon mit den eigenen Fähigkeiten (zB als Jäger) zu prahlen, wird von der eigenen Horde rasch und unerbittlich geahndet. Da wird auch sehr rasch zum ultimativen "Heilmittel" gegriffen und der Abweichler wird eliminiert. Auch wer "bloss" ausgestossen wird, muss damit rechnen, die nächste Woche nicht zu überleben.

Jede Machtfigur, Mutti Merkel genaus wie alle Regierungsmitglieder, die Brüsseler Bürokraten, die Staatshierarchien etc. haben tatsächlich alle Angst vor dem Volk. Mehr Angst vor dem eigenen Volk als vor fremden Kräften. Daher missbrauchen diese Figuren die Geheimdienste und ihr kriminelles Potential gerne und ungehemmt, um das eigene Volk gefügig zu halten, Kritik zu unterdrücken und Rebellen zu eliminieren. Alles Nachwirkungen unserer egalitär geprägten Entwicklungsgeschichte.

Ich empfehle dieses erhellende, fundierte und umfassende Werk jedem, der sich dafür interessiert, wie und warum wir Menschen uns so benehmen, wie wir uns eben benehmen.

7 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

lucasurian

If you are interested in the evolution of morality, don't miss it.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2012

Verified Purchase

This book is beautifully written, the theory proposed is elegant, cogently argued and highly plausible and the theoretical landscape of previous models is skillfully canvassed. I have little doubt that this book will be of great interest not only to anthropologists, but also to all scientists in many other disciplines (e.g., psychology, economics, evolutionary biology) that are involved in understanding human and non-human apes social cognition. I particularly liked the author's successful effort in combining vivid descriptions of several real life events of the foragers and quantitative data suggesting the universality of certain traits. Some of the events reported by the authors will stay in the reader's mind for ever. On the negative side, as a developmental psychologist, I have noticed some short-cuts in discussing the assessment of hypotheses concerning innate competences in children. Also, I think it would have been useful not to contrast nepotism (defined as intra-familiar 'false' altruism) with extra-familiar 'real' altruism', in that both of them may be 'false' cases of altruisms at a biological level - since they both may increase rather than decrease the reproductive fitness of the agent), and both can be real cases of altruism at the psychological level (i.e., at the level of intentions and representations computed by the agent's when she is planning and carrying out her altruistic act). Overall, I guess many psychologists that will read this book will get inspired by it and will use it in planning new challenging research projects. Readers that are not personally involved in research activities will find it, I think, a nice opportunity to stimulate their reflections on the links between evolution and moral cognition and will feel compelled to get hold of some the previous works the authors refers to.

9 people found this helpful

Graham Music

Not to be ignored

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2017

Verified Purchase

An excellent account of how human moral sense and some of our most altruistic hopeful traits developed as an essential binding force in the hunter gatherer past we all evolved in. These are traits we need to savour, learn to grow or ignore at our and our planet's peril. An extremely scholarly and well written account

Dr. G. Kennedy

A Triumph

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

Well documented from the academic literature and convincing to read. Though I have some reservations about some of its assertions on the philosophical level, it is a fine analysis of a still controversial topic. Historians of economic thinking and sociology will gain insights based on detailed observations by seasoned field-workers, not ideological speculators.

See more reviews

Return this item for free