Time to jump back into reading textbook hypothesis and thinking deeply on the human condition in The Evolution of Morality by Richard Joyce. Pretty dense arguments by the author on how we as humans act when faced with something. Is it nature, nurture, or a combination of something else? Joyce presents data from other classic text books that I have spent some time reading like “The Selfish Gene” and works by Dennett. Joyce takes us back to the cavemen and how we evolved as a culture on how we determine to act, either to help or turn our back. Is moral decision making by the natural selection model and how our brain operates or has it evolved through our ancestors and serves as a method from some level of reciprocity between two beings. Joyce often uses studies of animals in making his points. The nice thing about the book is that he tends to give examples that are understandable and easy for us “simpletons” to “get.” How did we as a culture of humans begin to help one another, what is morality? Creating a moral code/language to communicate and finally the vindication and debunking of morality are a few of the chapters that serve as the basis for this book. Be prepared to re-read a few of the passages before you had the “ah-ha” moment. For morality and philosophy buffs, I’m sure it is on your top 100 books of the 21st century. For those who see reading as an escape to another world, probably will need some serious high level of caffeine to keep going through the book. The nice thing is it is relatively short in page numbers. Probably a staple for most philosophy majors, but for me ok – I get it, but…. To think he is younger than me…why am I not that smart?
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