a book

The Moral Animal

Name: The Moral Animal
Rating: 5 (6 reviews)
Author: Robert Wright
ISBN: 9780679763994

Robert Wright · 1995 · 496 pages

One of the most provocative science books ever published—"a feast of great thinking and writing about the most profound issues there are" (The New York Times Book Review).

"Fiercely intelligent, beautifully written and engrossingly original." —The New York Times Book Review

Are men literally born to cheat? Does monogamy actually serve women's interests? These are among the questions that have made The Moral Animaled 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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recommended by 6 people

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Ryan Holiday
“The definitive beginner text on evolutionary psychology exploring why we are the way we are.”↗
Andrej Karpathy
“"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.”
Chris Williamson
“Dynamics, Friendship, History One of the most important books I’ve ever read. A glorious introduction to the world of evolutionary psychology. Witty, jaw dropping insights into why relationships have the dynamics they do, why politics exist, the psychology of friendships and more. Are men literally born to cheat? Does monogamy actually serve women’s interests? Basically a book for people who love to find out WHY things are the way they are, illustrated by cute historical examples from Charles Darwin’s life. 500+ pages so lock in for a big one.”↗
Reid Hoffman
Tom Bilyeu
Morgan Housel