Overview
- Synthesizes the essence of human nature by combining the knowledge from many different fields of science
- Answers fundamental questions about human nature
- Provides thorough summary of human evolution
- Has implications for a new image of humanity Sheds light on controversial issues, including free will and religion
- Represents a synthesis of sociobiological findings
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: The Frontiers Collection (FRONTCOLL)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (9 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
To understand why we humans are as we are, it is necessary to look at the essential building blocks that comprise our nature. The foundations of this structure are our evolutionary origins as primates and our social roots. Upon these rest features such as our emotions, language and aesthetic preferences, with our self-perceptions, self-deceptions and thirst for knowledge right at the top.
The unifying force holding these blocks together is evolutionary theory. Evolution provides a deeper understanding of human nature and, in particular, of the common roots of these different perspectives.
To build a reliable and coherent model of man, leading authors from fields as diverse as primatology, anthropology, neurobiology and philosophy have joined forces to present essays each describing their own expert perspective. Together they provide a convincing and complete picture of our own human nature.
Editors and Affiliations
About the editors
Ulrich Frey (philosophy), Charlotte Störmer and Kai Willführ (biology) work in an interdisciplinary research group at the University of Giessen, applying evolutionary theory to a broad range of fields. The following authors contributed to the chapters of this book: Karl Grammer, Benjamin Grant Purzycki, Peter Kappeler, Niklas Krebs, Ruth Mace, Elisabeth Oberzaucher, Frank Rösler, Michael Schmidt-Salomon, Mary K. Shenk, Richard Sosis and Matthias Uhl.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Essential Building Blocks of Human Nature
Editors: Ulrich J. Frey, Charlotte Störmer, Kai P. Willführ
Series Title: The Frontiers Collection
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13968-0
Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-642-13967-3Published: 26 April 2011
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-662-51935-6Published: 23 August 2016
eBook ISBN: 978-3-642-13968-0Published: 08 November 2010
Series ISSN: 1612-3018
Series E-ISSN: 2197-6619
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIV, 159
Topics: Evolutionary Biology, Popular Science in Psychology, Epistemology, Cognitive Psychology