Robert A. Hinde – författare

Everywhere people share certain moral principles - it is bad to steal, to kill, to lie. We see our morality as absolute, yet we live by rules that differ with the context: it is ok to kill the enemy in war; for a businessman to do the best for himself; for a lawyer to argue professionally for a position he would personally reject. We are constantly 'bending the rules', while considering our moral principles as absolute. Robert Hinde, the eminent Cambridge biologist and psychologist, presents a new approach to morality based on combining an evolutionary approach with observations on how people actually behave to show that morality is more subtle than it appears. The complexity of modern societies requires the rules to be somewhat flexible according to the context - personal relationships, science, law, business, politics and war. Some bending of rules is necessary for social cohesion; but too much is destructive. Hinde argues from a humanistic standpoint for a deeper appreciation of the nature of morality, so that we may avoid global catastrophe, and strive for a more ethical, just, and peaceful world.

Culture - broadly defined as all we learn from others that endures for long enough to generate customs and traditions - shapes vast swathes of our lives and has allowed the human species to dominate the planet in an evolutionarily unique way. Culture and cultural evolution are uniquely significant phenomena in evolutionary biology: they are products of biological evolution, yet they supplement genetic transmission with social transmission, thus achieving a certain independence from natural selection. However, cultural evolution nevertheless expresses key Darwinian processes itself and also interacts with genetic evolution. Just how culture fits into the grander framework of evolution is a big issue though, yet one that has received relatively little scientific attention compared to, for example, genetic evolution. Our 'capacity for culture' appears so distinctive among animals that it is often thought to separate we cultural beings from the rest of nature and the Darwinian forces that shape it. 'Culture Evolves' presents a different view arising from the recent discoveries of a diverse range of disciplines, that focus on evolutionary continuities. First, recent studies reveal that learning from others and the transmission of traditions are more widespread and significant across the animal kingdom than earlier recognized, helping us understand the evolutionary roots of culture. Second, archaeological discoveries have pushed back the origins of human culture to much more ancient times than traditionally thought. These developments together suggest important continuities between animal and human culture. A third new array of discoveries concerns the later diversification of human cultures, where the operations of Darwinian-like, cultural evolutionary processes are increasingly identified. Finally, surprising discoveries have been made about the imprint of cultural evolution in children's predisposition to acquire culture.The result of a major interdisciplinary meeting held by he Royal Society and the British Academy, this book presents the work of leading experts from the fields of ethology, behavioural ecology, primatology, comparative psychology, archaeology, anthropology, evolutionary biology and developmental psychology.

War must be regarded as an institution which has evolved over time. In this book the nature of war and the factors that sustain it are considered from diverse perspectives - anthropology, history, political science, theology, philosophy, international law, economics, psychiatry and biology.

What is it about religion that appeals to people? Why do religions and religious beliefs persist in the face of increasing secularisation, harsh criticism and even political persecution? Robert Hinde argues that it is not enough simply to criticize religion, we must understand it - not only how it causes so much conflict, but also how it brings comfort to many. Hinde, a distinguished scientist, draws on a wide range of psychological, developmental and evolutionary research to explore this fascinating question. This second edition of Why Gods Persist is designed for everyone interested in the subject, either as a student of psychology and anthropology of religion or as a follower of the current controversies over the value of religious belief.

What is it about religion that appeals to people? Why do religions and religious beliefs persist in the face of increasing secularisation, harsh criticism and even political persecution? Robert Hinde argues that it is not enough simply to criticize religion, we must understand it - not only how it causes so much conflict, but also how it brings comfort to many. Hinde, a distinguished scientist, draws on a wide range of psychological, developmental and evolutionary research to explore this fascinating question. This second edition of Why Gods Persist is designed for everyone interested in the subject, either as a student of psychology and anthropology of religion or as a follower of the current controversies over the value of religious belief.

The importance in social relationships of the exchange of information by non-verbal gestures and expressions, though long appreciated by artists and writers, has only recently become the subject of serious scientific study. The subject has been approached from different angles by psychologists studying the relevance of non-verbal communication to interpersonal relationships, by anthropologists interested in how these processes help to integrate societies, and by ethologists extrapolating the results of animal studies to human behaviour. The scope of the volume ranges from formal analysis of the communication process by an information theorist (Professor Mackay) and by a linguist (Professor Lyons), to accounts of the role of expression in the theatre (Dr Jonathan Miller) and in the visual arts (Professor Gombrich). There are contributions to the discussion written from the point of view of the zoologist, the ethologist, the psychologist and anthropologist.

Both biologists and social scientists have much to say about human behaviour. Yet attempts to combine their approaches to provide a deeper understanding of human nature have not so far been generally successful. First published in 1987, this book offered an original way of bridging the gap between them. The key to bringing the two approaches together is, Professor Hinde suggests, to recognise crucial distinctions between levels of social complexity (individuals, interactions, relationships and groups), whilst at the same time bearing in mind that all are processes in dialectical relations with each other and with the socio-cultural structure of institutions, beliefs, values, norms and so on. Professor Hinde argues that principles derived from ethology are essential for understanding some aspects of behaviour at the lower levels of social complexity, but have severe limitations at higher ones. This innovative approach will interest research workers, lecturers and students of psychology, biology, anthropology and sociology, as well as other readers seeking a comprehensive understanding of the nature of human social behaviour.

Derived from a meeting of natural and social scientists, this interdisciplinary book aims to summarize the main issues regarding the problem of human aggression, as well as human beliefs about the subject. This study brings together internationally known authorities and presents their recent contributions which range in complexity from the physiological to individual aggression, group conflict, and international war. The study concludes with a multilevel approach to the problems of aggression and war. In nontechnical language suitable for general science readers, the book provides a valuable framework for the development of ideas and new attitudies in a field rife with misconceptions.

An increasing number of people accept competitiveness as a basis for living. However, while competitiveness may have its place, cooperation is more important in many contexts, and interpersonal relationships are the most important elements in our lives. This is true not only of individuals, but also of groups and nations. In this book, prominent authors have come together to consider the nature of cooperation and prosocial behaviour at levels of social complexity ranging from the individual to the international. Successive sections cover key topics such as the relations between cooperation in animals and humans; the development of prosocial propensities in humans; aspects of the situation and of personality that increase the probability that individuals will behave prosocially; the relationships between trust, cooperation and commitment; and cooperation between groups and nations. Case studies illustrating the important issue of international cooperation are also included. The chapters are integrated by a series of useful editorials which emphasise that a full understanding of cooperation and prosocial behaviour requires us to move between different levels of social complexity.