The Ape that Understood the Universe

How the Mind and Culture Evolve

AvSteve Stewart-Williams

Inbunden, Engelska, 2018

404 kr

Beställningsvara. Skickas inom 7-10 vardagar. Fri frakt över 249 kr.

Fler format och utgåvor

Häftad

176 kr

Skickas inom 7-10 vardagar

Beskrivning

The Ape that Understood the Universe is the story of the strangest animal in the world: the human animal. It opens with a question: How would an alien scientist view our species? What would it make of our sex differences, our sexual behavior, our child-rearing patterns, our moral codes, our religions, our languages, and science? The book tackles these issues by drawing on ideas from two major schools of thought: evolutionary psychology and cultural evolutionary theory. The guiding assumption is that humans are animals, and that like all animals, we evolved to pass on our genes. At some point, however, we also evolved the capacity for culture - and from that moment, culture began evolving in its own right. This transformed us from a mere ape into an ape capable of reshaping the planet, travelling to other worlds, and understanding the vast universe of which we're but a tiny, fleeting fragment.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2018-09-13
Mått:163 x 234 x 26 mm
Vikt:681 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Antal sidor:378
Förlag:Cambridge University Press
ISBN:9781108425049

Utforska kategorier

Mer om författaren

Steve Stewart-Williams is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus. His research and writing revolve around the idea that theories from evolutionary biology can shed light on the human mind and behavior, focusing especially on sex differences and altruism. He also has a long-standing interest in the philosophical implications of evolutionary theory. His first book, Darwin, God and the Meaning of Life (Cambridge), was published in 2010.

Recensioner i media

'In The Ape that Understood the Universe, evolutionary psychologist Steve Stewart-Williams provides a masterful account of how the mind and culture evolve. Stewart-Williams is an exceptionally good writer, a witty and learned guide through challenging but exciting terrain that includes psychology, biology, anthropology, philosophy, and animal behavior. The Ape that Understood the Universe is a rare accomplishment: equal parts intellectual exhilaration and beautifully crafted narrative. Read this book for its literary grace, and learn along the way why you are an ape that can understand the universe.' Todd Shackelford, Oakland University, Michigan

Innehållsförteckning

1. The alien's challenge; 2. Darwin comes to mind; 3. The SeXX/XY animal; 4. The dating, mating, baby-making animal; 5. The altruistic animal; 6. The cultural animal; Appendix A: how to win an argument with a blank slater; Appendix B: how to win an argument with an anti-memeticist.