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How We Became Human

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( 118 ratings, 17 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How We Became Human explores the evolution of human morality, tracing how empathy, guilt, and social allegiance developed to help our ancestors live in expanding social groups. Dr Tim Dean examines the cultural tools like religion and politics that shaped morality but argues that our ancient moral instincts now struggle to keep pace with modern challenges such as social media outrage, gender inequality, and systemic bias. This philosophical journey asks how we can discern what is natural versus what is right, and how humanity can rethink morality for a better future.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will appeal to readers interested in philosophy, psychology, ethics, and social sciences, especially those curious about how human nature and culture influence moral behaviour in the modern world.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Over thousands of years, humans have developed mechanisms to help us live together in ever-larger social groups. We developed a set of moral emotions such as empathy, guilt, and outrage, as well as a tendency to favour people in our in-groups and a propensity to punish perceived wrongdoers. Our culture also evolved, giving us powerful tools like religion and politics that could expand community sizes and maintain moral order.

While these mechanisms served our ancestors well, though, our evolved sense of right and wrong is out of step with the modern world. Social media can turn outrage into an addiction, gender equality is still hampered by caveman thinking, and implicit bias turns to explicit oppression. How do we separate what's natural from what's right? How can we reshape our thinking to thrive in the modern world?

Here one of Australia's brightest philosophers charts the evolution of morality from the first humans to today and shows us how we can turn towards a better future.

Praise for How We Became Human:

'In the battle of our genes, our minds, our souls, which wins? Hate and love, good and evil, right and wrong. Let Tim Dean unlock the mystery of being human. There are some thinkers just made for our times: Dean is one of them.' - Stan Grant

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781760982010

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 July 2021

Country: Australia

Imprint: Macmillan Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 27.0mm

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 233.0mm

Weight: 450g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Dr Tim Dean is a philosopher and award-winning writer and teacher. He has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of New South Wales on the evolution of morality, and specialises in ethics, critical thinking, the philosophy of science and philosophy education. He is also an experienced science writer and editor, and was the Science & Technology Editor at The Conversation. Tim is the recipient of the Australasian Association of Philosophy Media Professionals' Award for his work on philosophy in the public sphere. He is an Honorary Associate in the Philosophy department at the University of Sydney and a core faculty member at The School of Life. He also teaches workshops on ethics and critical thinking to children through the Primary Ethics program in New South Wales and in high schools around Australia.

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