Human society evolves.
Torture, racism, slavery, and pedophilia--all once widely regarded as acceptable--are now seen as immoral despite the decline of religion in recent decades.
In this wide-ranging, erudite book, Ridley brilliantly makes the case for evolution, rather than design, as the force that has shaped much of our culture, our.
Languages emerged and evolved by a form of natural selection, as did common law.
The Industrial Revolution, cell phones, the rise of Asia, and the Internet were never planned; they happened.
On the contrary, our most important achievements develop from the bottom up.
Much of the human world is the result of human action but not of human design: it emerges from the interactions of millions, not from the plans of a few.
Drawing on fascinating evidence from science, economics, history, politics, and philosophy, Matt Ridley demolishes conventional assumptions that the great events and trends of our day are dictated by those on high.
It follows a narrative, going from one stage to the next, and it largely happens by trial and error--a version of natural selection.
Change in technology, language, morality, and society is incremental, inexorable, gradual, and spontaneous.
Human society evolves.
Torture, racism, slavery, and pedophilia--all once widely regarded as acceptable--are now seen as immoral despite the decline of religion in recent decades.
In this wide-ranging, erudite book, Ridley brilliantly makes the case for evolution, rather than design, as the force that has shaped much of our culture, our technology, our minds, and that even now is shaping our future.
Languages emerged and evolved by a form of natural selection, as did common law.
The Industrial Revolution, cell phones, the rise of Asia, and the Internet were never planned; they happened.
On the contrary, our most important achievements develop from the bottom up.
Much of the human world is the result of human action but not of human design: it emerges from the interactions of millions, not from the plans of a few.
Drawing on fascinating evidence from science, economics, history, politics, and philosophy, Matt Ridley demolishes conventional assumptions that the great events and trends of our day are dictated by those on high.
It follows a narrative, going from one stage to the next, and it largely happens by trial and error--a version of natural selection.
Change in technology, language, morality, and society is incremental, inexorable, gradual, and spontaneous.
Human society evolves
