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

Book: Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame
Christopher Boehm (Author)
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Basic Books (May 1, 2012)

Book Description: 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...

Linl 2: When did our ancestors learn to do the right thing?