Employing game theory the logic of zerosum and nonzerosum games he isolates the impetus behind lifes basic direction. Near the beginning of the evolution of god, robert wright states that he is a materialist. Believers in the three major monotheistic faiths might find troubling ideas in robert wright 79s new book, the evolution of god. The evolution of god by robert wright, paperback barnes. At the beginning of nonzero, robert wright sets out to define the arrow of the history of life, from the primordial soup to the world wide web. Evolutionary psychology and everyday life, both published by vintage books. The evolution of god is one of the most thought provoking and insightful books i have ever read. And this previously unrecognized evolutionary logic points not toward continued religious extremism, but future harmony.
May, 2010 the evolution of god is a natural progression of thought which flows from two of professor wrights widely acclaimed earlier works, the moral animal and nonzero. This of course requires a definition of god far more esoteric than your local baptist preacher would consent to. Robert wright is the author, most recently, of the evolution of god, which was a new york times bestseller and a finalist for the pulitzer prize. In the ancient world, the evolution of the idea of god vacillated between periods of conflict and cooperation, segueing between nonzero and zerosum situations. In 2000, in nonzero, he noted how the evolution of information. That was a warrior god, savagely tribal, deeply insecure about his status and willing to.
But taken together, the moral animal, nonzero and the evolution of god represent a powerful addition to modern thought. I have no way of knowing for sure that this is true, and i certainly have no way of knowing how that purpose might. The prizewinning author of the moral animal and nonzero presents a groundbreaking examination of. Jan 25, 2018 audiobook the evolution of god part 1 audiobook the evolution of god part 1. The evolution of god carnegie council for ethics in. The author makes use of archaeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology to explain how mainly the abrahamic religions evolved. Insofar as religion and the idea of god contribute to a nonzero sum polity, this evolution is, in wrights term, progressive. So as technological evolution expands the realm of nonzero sumnessone thing it has stubbornly done throughout history and shows every sign of continuing to dothere is incentive to acknowledge and respect the humanity of an ever widening circle of humans. I just finished reading the evolution of god by robert wright, an intriguing and exhaustively well researched book. In this sweeping narrative that takes us from the stone age to the information age, robert wright unveils an. Oct 26, 2012 banker elite increasingly control the zero sum nonzero sum dialectic higher level social evolution. Robert wright has a new book out soon called the evolution of god. The future of man 1969 ie, brotherly love, christian charity to.
The evolution of god is a natural progression of thought which flows from two of professor wrights widely acclaimed earlier works, the moral animal and nonzero. In the evolution of god, robert wright, awardwinning author of the bestselling books nonzero and the moral animal, takes us on a sweeping journey through religious history, from the stone age to the information age, unveiling along the way an astonishing discovery. In the evolution of god, wright tells a similar story from a religious standpoint, proposing that the increasing goodness of god reflects the increasing. In your opinion, can a materialist explain the history of religion. The logic of human destiny is a 1999 book by robert wright, in which the author argues that biological evolution and cultural evolution are shaped and directed first and foremost by nonzero sumness i. Focusing on the monotheistic, abrahamic god of judaism, christianity and islam, the author trains his critical eye and evolutionary insight on the bible and koran and what they represent. What does he mean by this and can you explain what a materialist view of the scriptures might look like. Author of the evolution of god, nonzero, the moral animal, and why buddhism is true. The logic of human destiny 1999, the evolution of god 2009, and why buddhism is true 2017. The prizewinning author of the moral animal and nonzero presents a. Wright is a devout materialist who, to the dismay of many of his atheistic friends, sees a directionality in religion and human history towards something which can meaningfully and objectively be ascribed as moral truth and divinity.
Ive argued, both in nonzero and the evolution of god, that the directionality in biological evolution and in cultural evolution suggest that we may be seeing the unfolding of some larger purpose on this planet. In the moral animal, professor wright introduces us to evolutionary psychology and examines the ways in which the morality of individuals might be hardwired by nature, rather than. In his bestselling the moral animal, robert wright applied the principles of evolutionary biology to the study of the human mind. The thesis of the evolution of god has its roots in wrights previous book, nonzero. From primitive animists to the legends of the first gods, battling like irrational cloudinhabiting humans over the cosmos, wright tells the story of how war and trade, technology and human interaction slowly exposed humans to the gods of others. The bestselling author of nonzero, the moral animal and the evolution of god, robert wright draws on his wideranging knowledge of science, religion, psychology, history and politics to figure out what makes humanity tick and what makes us mo. Wrights concept of god at times, but that still did not detract from the overall principle that is the subject of this book.
Robert wright born january 15, 1957 is an american journalist and author who writes about science, history, politics, and religion. Robert wright challenges the conventional view that biological evolution and human history are aimless. Robert wright is the author of the forthcoming book, the evolution of god. The jews then transmitted this idea to the founders of christianity and islam and put all three faiths on path toward what wright calls nonzero sumness. He starts with the deities of huntergatherer tribes, moves to those of chiefdoms and nations, then on to the polytheism of the early israelites and the monotheism that followed, and then to the new testament and the koran, before finishing off with the modern multinational gods of judaism. History, evolution and human cooperation by robert. On any list of nonfiction authors that many people may not know but should, robert wright would rank high.
It argues that humankinds biological and cultural history is directional, even purposeful, pushing towards increasing complexity and. Buy the evolution of god book online at low prices in india. Jun 08, 2009 on any list of nonfiction authors that many people may not know but should, robert wright would rank high. He is married to sue and has three grown children, and hasnt left the house without gospel tracts for decades. In his brilliant new book, the evolution of god, robert wright tells the story of how god grew up. Robert wright has taken his concept of nonzero sum interactions and has made the leap from concept to god in his latest work, the evolution of god. The bestselling author of nonzero, the moral animal and the evolution of god, robert wright draws on his wideranging knowledge of science, religion. Nearly a decade in the making, the evolution of god is a breathtaking reexamination of the past, and a visionary look forward. Nonzero examines our evolutionary and cultural history, concluding that the direction of our evolution was determined by a natural tendency to create winwin situations. Twentytwo chapters later, after a sweeping and vivid narrative of the human past, he has succeeded and has mounted a powerful challenge to the conventional view that evolution and human history are aimless. The god that most americans worship occasionally gets upset about abortion and gay marriage, but he is a softy compared with the yahweh of the hebrew bible. He cohosts the awardwinning television program way of the master, airing in almost 200 countries, and is the executive producer of 180, evolution vs. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and his more about robert wright. To ask other readers questions about the evolution of god, please sign up.
Jun 08, 2009 the evolution of god is one of the most thought provoking and insightful books i have ever read. Robert wrights new book, the evolution of god, has performed an. The book 576 pages worth is composed of twenty chapters within five major sections. As technological evolution has brought communities, nations, and faiths into closer contact, it is the prophets of tolerance and love that have prospered, along with the religions they represent.
I had difficulty relating to the game theory analysis and to mr. Looking for meaning in an age of information 1988, the moral animal 1994, nonzero. Ray comfort is the founder and ceo of living waters and the bestselling author of more than 80 books, including god has a wonderful plan for your life, how to know god exists, and the evidence bible. The religion primer or the evolution of western religious. Robert wright is editor in chief of and the author of the moral animal pantheon, 1994, nonzero pantheon, 2000, and the evolution of god little, brown, 2009. It argues that humankinds biological and cultural history is directional, even purposeful, pushing towards increasing complexity and ultimately goodness.
Buy the evolution of god book online at best prices in india on. The future of man 1969 ie, brotherly love, christian charity to planetary level. The evolution of god by robert wright the evolution of god by robert wright is a book about the evolution of the concept of god. Robert wright discusses his new book, the evolution of god. The evolution of god is a 2009 book by robert wright, in which the author explores the history. Taken together, the moral animal, nonzero and the evolution of god represent a powerful addition to modern thought. I loved two of wrights previous books, the moral animal and especially nonzero. If biology, culture and faith all seek a better world, maybe there is hope. The logic of human destiny 1999, the evolution of god 2009. Is this, in your opinion, evidence for the existence of god. Robert wright is the bestselling author of three scientists and their gods, the moral animal, nonzero, and, most recently, the evolution of god, which was a finalist for the pulitzer prize. In that work, wright argued that the ability to recognize and capitalize on non. The evolution of god in his previous two books, the moral animal and nonzero, robert wright argues that evolutionbiological, social, and technologicalhas on balance, if imperfectly, moved humankind toward greater interconnectedness and moral inclusiveness.
Jun 02, 2009 robert wright discusses his new book, the evolution of god. The evolution of god 9780316734912 by wright, robert and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. For starters, he notes that ancient israel was polytheistic until the babylonian exile, during the 6th century b. Audiobook the evolution of god part 1 audiobook the evolution of god part 1. The logic of human destiny 2000, he argued that there is a moral direction to human history, that technological growth and. At the end of the book wright begins to wonder whether the evolution of god, the concept, might provide evidence for the existence of god, the reality. Jun 08, 2009 and this previously unrecognized evolutionary logic points not toward continued religious extremism, but future harmony.
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