The Kindness of Strangers
How a Selfish Ape Invented a New Moral Code
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Braden Wright
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"A fine achievement."--Peter Singer, author of The Life You Can Save and The Most Good You Can Do
A sweeping psychological history of human goodness -- from the foundations of evolution to the modern political and social challenges humanity is now facing.
How did humans, a species of self-centered apes, come to care about others? Since Darwin, scientists have tried to answer this question using evolutionary theory. In The Kindness of Strangers, psychologist Michael E. McCullough shows why they have failed and offers a new explanation instead. From the moment nomadic humans first settled down until the aftermath of the Second World War, our species has confronted repeated crises that we could only survive by changing our behavior. As McCullough argues, these choices weren't enabled by an evolved moral sense, but with moral invention -- driven not by evolution's dictates but by reason.
Today's challenges -- climate change, mass migration, nationalism -- are some of humanity's greatest yet. In revealing how past crises shaped the foundations of human concern, The Kindness of Strangers offers clues for how we can adapt our moral thinking to survive these challenges as well.
©2020 Michael McCullough (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Kritikerstimmen
"A deliciously provocative analysis of an entirely admirable human quality."
―Kirkus (starred review)
"An inspiring and engrossing new look at human goodness. Without sentimentality or glibness, and wearing his depth and erudition lightly, McCullough enlightens us on when and why we care for others."―Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now
"This is a controversial book, but McCullough's arguments are smart, clear, and ultimately persuasive."―Paul Bloom, author of Against Empathy
To the contrary McCullough gave a very clear exposé of Neo-Darwinian reasoning as it's known from Dawkins and others, and despite Dawkins's book The Selfish Gene is a classic, I think, I might recommend new readers McCullough's book as his book treats it in such a superbe and pedagogical way.
What I particularly appreciated was his account of Wynn-Edwards's and later Wilson's ideas about group-selection and multilevel selection. For some time, I've been unable to find a clear presentation and discussion or a clarification of the discussion, whether selection is at the level of genes or whether some kinds of group- or multilevel selection can be permitted.
I ended up being convinced that the ideas about group selection in the end doesn't explain anything that Hamilton's rule, kin selection and inclusive selection can't explain (as or more simply). Because of these explanations, I've ordered a hard-copy of the book, so I can reread those sections and can put it in the library.
The second part is less focused on evolution and more on political, moral and economical history in order to explain kindness. I was less taken in by this part of the book. I would have loved if the former evolutionary thinking had somehow remained part of the thinking throughout the book, but they seemed strangely absent all of a sudden.
First in the conclusion did he try to bring the many strands together, but without bringing anything to the table that made me fall off my seat. I felt that I had somehow heard it before. It was all very true and right, but nothing I thought was truly novel and thought provoking.
Impressive exposition and clearly written
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