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The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology Paperback – August 29, 1995

by Robert Wright (Author)

226 customer reviews

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Are men literally born to cheat? Does monogamy actually serve women's interests? These are among the questions that have made The Moral Animal one of the most provocative science books in recent years. Wright unveils the genetic strategies behind everything from our sexual preferences to our office politics--as well as their implications for our moral codes and public policies. Illustrations.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An accessible introduction to the science of evolutionary psychology and how it explains many aspects of human nature. Unlike many books on the topic,which focus on abstractions like kin selection, this book focuses on Darwinian explanations of why we are the way we are--emotionally and morally. Wright deals particularly well with explaining the reasons for the stereotypical dynamics of the three big "S's:" sex, siblings, and society.

From Publishers Weekly

New Republic senior editor Wright's account of the latest trends in Darwinian theory unravels the evolutionary logic behind subjects ranging from friendship and romance to xenophobia and sibling rivalry.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product details

Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (August 29, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0679763996
ISBN-13: 978-0679763994
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 226 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #12 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling > Evolutionary Psychology
- #136 in Books > Science & Math > Evolution
- #165 in Books > Science & Math > Behavioral Sciences > Cognitive Psychology

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The Hibernian Autodidact

One of the most important books I've ever read.

September 4, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

My education has been steeped in what many writers refer to as the "Standard Social Scientific Model" - one of the assumptions of the SSSM is that environmental and cultural influences are the dominant consideration in shaping a human life, and that a person's nature is either a secondary or non-existent consideration. Because of this, I had been very resistant for years to any book focusing on human nature, or genetic explanations for simple or complex human behavior. Robert Wright's "The Moral Animal" changed all this. Part of what brought this about is the fact that Wright is such a clear and lucid writer. Frankly, had this book been written by someone of lesser skills with explanation, I probably would've put it down. Now, in my work as a psychotherapist, I'm much more likely to think in terms of what challenges of evolutionary importance are my clients having trouble coping with, such as issues regarding status, procreation, and things that would've spelled death to our neolithic ancestors. Furthermore, another conclusion that I've reached after reading this book is that Charles Darwin is given not given enough credit in psychology writing for his brilliant insights into human feelings and behavior; this needs to change. As Darwin said, if you want to understand people, just watch a troop of baboons, if you ever have the opportunity.

40 people found this helpful

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Christpher Hays

The Immoral Animal

February 12, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Excellent introduction to Evolutionary Psychology, in part because of how well written it is and also in no small measure due to the force of the ideas the author introduces. All this, despite being nearly 20 years in print.

The chapter on self-deception itself is easily worth the price of the book. In sum, it seems, despite our collective avowed love of something called “the truth”, there is apparently more survival value in dissembling, to such an extent that the inclination is now hopelessly wired into our brains. Thus, the primary role of our conscious, “rational” mind is simply to rationalize our behavior, like a good trial lawyer, not only to others, but more importantly, to ourselves as well, with effectiveness in persuading others increasing the more success you have in duping yourself.

I can’t disagree. It’s been my observation throughout most of my life and to see it laid out in print along with an evolutionary explanation for why it should be so provides confirmatory evidence, at least for me. Not only that, when you look around and see it so prevalently on the news, with talking heads, with politicians, with bosses, coworkers, friends and even with yourself, the net result is not outrage so much as a sort of resignation to the notion that this is the way things are. The obvious lesson, of course, is to attempt to train yourself to keep your eyes and ears open, knowing full well that the voice you hear in your own head is the one you are most susceptible to believing in and the one least likely to possess even a modicum of credibility. Good luck.

The one remarkable place in the book where the author illustrates this error himself is where he indicates, after hundreds of pages of demonstrating otherwise, that humans are somehow capable of stepping outside of this perspective; that simply because we are “wired” to act according to our hunter-gatherer brains, does not mean we cannot chose to do otherwise. This, on the heels of a commentary about the hollowness of the notion of “free will”.

All the same, a quite remarkable book.

18 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

An excellent and well written book, The Moral Animal Delivers more than one would expect.

February 16, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Wright is evidently a good writer. He easily attracts the reader's attention, and takes them on a journey to understand the basics of evolutionary psychology.
The scientific content in the book is very clear and refined in order to paint a good enough picture of the foundations of evolutionary psychology, providing historical accounts and useful analogies to explain various concepts from that field of study.
My main criticism of the book is directed towards the parts which I can imagine are someone else's favorite part of the book. Namely, the parts detailing Darwin's life. I fully understand the literary significance of using Darwin as an example, but as a case to support Evo Psych, it seems like the writer is cherry picking events which fit his explanatory models. I believe simply using anthropological and psychological evidence is more appropriate to convince the reader, but I guess the writer had a different idea in mind. All in all, those parts were informative, but I found myself skimming them rather than actively reading them.
Perhaps another point I disliked about the book is how the writer claims he will always point out his sociopolitical inferences from the science, in order to not confuse the reader, but ends up adding his views about the ethical, social, and political implications of the science without clearly pointing out they are merely his personal opinions, at least not all the time.
In conclusion, Robert Wright is more than excellent in conveying the important ideas. And I believe The Moral Animal is a must read for any one who is interested in Evolutionary Psychology and the origin of human nature.

8 people found this helpful

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Javier Bonilla Castañeda

This book will open your eyes to how humans really ...

December 21, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book will open your eyes to how humans really work and what makes them tick. Morality is a result of evolution. Every tiny bit of our "values" can be explained by science; change the conditions and polygamy or even murder could be a virtue. As Matt Ridley explains in another similar book, queen bees have to kill, as soon as they are born, other unborn queens so that they won't be born, fight and run the risk of having both queens dead. For queen bees, murder is a virtue; if they did not perform they would be acting in a highly immoral way. What a radically different view from Ten Commandments written in stone, don't you think? Only this is science and the Commandments fiction.

4 people found this helpful

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