Darwin's Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and The Nature of Society
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The key, argues Wilson, is to think of society as an organism, an old idea that has received new life based on recent developments in evolutionary biology. If society is an organism, can we then think of morality and religion as biologically and culturally evolved adaptations that enable human groups to function as single units rather than mere collections of individuals? Wilson brings a variety of evidence to bear on this question, from both the biological and social sciences. From Calvinism in sixteenth-century Geneva to Balinese water temples, from hunter-gatherer societies to urban America, Wilson demonstrates how religions have enabled people to achieve by collective action what they never could do alone. He also includes a chapter considering forgiveness from an evolutionary perspective and concludes by discussing how all social organizations, including science, could benefit by incorporating elements of religion.
| Author | David Sloan Wilson |
|---|---|
| Publisher | The University of Chicago Press |
| Place | London |
| Year | 2002 |
| ISBN | 9780226901343 |
| Binding | Hardcover |
| Condition | Very Good |
| Dustjacket Condition | Very Good |
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