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The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule Hardcover – February 2, 2004

4.3 out of 5 stars 107 ratings

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Drawing on evolutionary psychology, Skeptic publisher and Scientific American contributor Shermer (Why People Believe Weird Things) argues that the sources of moral behavior can be traced scientifically to humanity's evolutionary origins. He contends that human morality evolved as first an individual and then a species-wide mechanism for survival. As society evolved, humans needed rules governing behavior-e.g., altruism, sympathy, reciprocity and community concern-in order to ensure survival. Shermer says that some form of the Golden Rule-"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you"-provides the foundation of morality in human societies. Out of this, he develops the principles of what he calls a "provisional ethics" that "is neither absolute nor relative," that applies to most people most of the time, while allowing for "tolerance and diversity." According to the "ask-first" principle, for instance, the performer of an act simply asks its intended receiver whether the act is right or wrong. Other principles include the "happiness" principle ("always seek happiness with someone else's happiness in mind"), the liberty principle ("always seek liberty with someone else's liberty in mind") and the moderation principle ("when innocent people die, extremism in the defense of anything is no virtue, and moderation in the protection of everything is no vice"). Shermer's provisional ethics might reflect the messy ways that human moral behavior developed, but his simplistic principles establish a utilitarian calculus that not everyone will find acceptable. 35 b&w illus.
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From Booklist

The source of morality is the topic under discussion in Shermer's latest book to champion rationalism. Religion received a critique in How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science (1999) and does so again as Shermer offers propositions on the origin of our ordinary, innate sense of right and wrong. Disposing of religion's rival, moral relativism, Shermer dedicates his effort to convincing readers that his thesis, labeled "provisional morality," makes more sense. What that means is that ethical rules are accepted conditionally and are as falsifiable as any scientific theory. Shermer takes this precept into the realm of evolutionary psychology, drawing applied ethics from such drastically different sources as anthropological field studies in Amazonia and the TV show The Honeymooners. Contending that the source of ethics is solely evolutionary, Sherman conducts his argument in an assertive but not gratuitously aggressive fashion. This stance as well as his populistic bent should earn him the hearing that he clearly hopes believers in God will give him. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Times Books; 1st edition (February 2, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0805075208
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0805075205
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.16 x 1.28 x 9.74 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 107 ratings

About the author

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Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. For 18 years he was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, The Moral Arc, and Heavens on Earth. His new book is Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist.

(Photo by Jordi Play)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
107 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

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Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars I suppose my expectations were too high.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 14, 2022
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Vlad
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 26, 2015
waterfall
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 8, 2016
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book from Shermer
Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on December 5, 2020
Richard
2.0 out of 5 stars Science really cannot explain morality or any other philosophical question...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 10, 2015
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