The Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation

Matt Ridley explores such perplexing conundrums as why, if humans are such egoistical beings, don't they behave as rational fools and forego the benefits of cooperation. He uses the findings of new research to look afresh at "Mankind".

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LibraryThing member PedrBran

The modern intelligentsia and media have portrayed Native Americans and other Aboriginal peoples as conservationists and environmentalists who were stewards of the earth's resources and were 'at one with nature'. If this is true, then it largely refutes Ridley's whole argument. Ridley devotes a

whole chapter to this ( Chapter 11 - Ecology as Religion ) and shows that it is a complete myth. Some of the facts he adduces: Shortly after 'Native Americans' arrived in North America, 73% of the large mammals were exterminated and became extinct. Shortly after man arrived in South America, 80% of the large mammals were exterminated and became extinct. As the Polynesians colonized the Pacific, they extinguished 20% of all the bird species on earth. At Olsen-Chubbock, the site of ancient bison massacres in Colorado, where people regularly stampeded herds over a cliff, the animals lay in such heaps after a successful stampede that only the ones on the top were butchered, and only the best joints were taken from them. If you are incredulous - read the book, all the sources are there. Ridley's final conclusion is that the limitations of technology or demand, rather than a culture of self-restraint or religious respect, is what kept tribal people from overexploiting their environment. One nice touch is Ridley's quote of Chief Seattle's speech which Al Gore includes in his book 'Earth in the Balance'.

"How can you buy or sell the sky? The Land?...Every part of this earth is sacred to my people..."

This quote would seem to establish Native Americans as the original environmentalists. Unfortunately, the speech was never given. It was written by Ted Perry, in 1971, for an ABC television drama. Who says TV doesn't shape our perception of reality.

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LibraryThing member bduguid

I really enjoyed this book. Ridley's aim is to answer an old question - "how is society possible?" - largely from the context of evolutionary biology.

For much of the book, his quest is to explain altruism - if our instincts have evolved to maximise the chances of our genes reproducing, then why

should we care about strangers?

He starts with the genes themselves - each genome a cooperative society of individual genes, each individually 'selfish' but equally reliant on their neighbours for their survival. This introduces a theme that runs throughout the book - the division of labour - and gives some idea of why the book spends as much time discussing economics as biology.

There's plenty here on game theory and its use to derive theories of altruism (reciprocity and others). I was surprised at how far beyond biology Ridley treads, with chapters on tribalism, war, trade and property, for example.

The book begins by looking at Kropotkin's (flawed) theory of Mutual Aid, which sought to use animal behaviour to demonstrate that we are naturally altruistic, attempting to employ science to make a political point. By the end, this theory has been long dismissed, but Ridley bravely returns to similar territory. Having shown (and speculated) how biology and evolution can in fact lead to altruistic (or at least cooperative) behaviour, he draws the lessons for real-world politics.

I found this a great way to end - in an era where politicians seem as keen as ever to meddle in science, it's good to see that science can hold lessons for politics too, and good to see a science journalist unafraid to draw those lessons.

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LibraryThing member miketroll

A modern classic.

Darwinian evolution is often misunderstood as a bleak doctrine of nature red in tooth and claw, in which altruism, compassion and kindness play no part. Matt Ridley’s brilliantly lucid book explains how social co-operation and trust between individuals can and do evolve

naturally. Helping others really can be good for the survival of your selfish genes!

Read it – it’s fascinating!

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LibraryThing member Noisy

This book is like being run over by a steam-roller. It's a very polite steam-roller that goes forward; then backs off a bit and says sorry before trundling forward further than it went last time. And its roller is covered in cashmere, so the steel of the meaning feels softer because of the

gentleness of the language.

At the end, of course, you have been considerably transformed in your outlook (that reminds me, I must read 'Flatland' sometime), but it's hard to pin down exactly what it was that you were like before, but aren't now. I think the proof will come when I hear someone blathering on about how human nature is purely formed by society, and I spot it for the utter bollocks that it is.

Suffice to say that I delighted in this book.

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LibraryThing member Devil_llama

This was my first introduction to the author, and it set a pattern that hasn't been relieved by further encounters. The author lacks integrity, willing to indulge in quote-mining to pretend that those who are on the other side of a question actually support his point of view, and he never misses an

opportunity to make unsupported, unpleasant sexist comments. He plainly believes the evidence indicates irrefutably that women are inferior and should stay home and work as breeding machines. It is only somewhat indicated here, but even with the marginality of the topic to sexism, he manages to make his point very clear.

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LibraryThing member wishanem

The Origins of Virtue: I found this book convincing, detailed, well-sourced, and very easy to read. The author does a great job of presenting theories and opinions in context with their intellectual progenitors. Best of all it was an optimistic and pleasant work of non-fiction, which is a rare

enough thing.

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LibraryThing member mbmackay

Argues that the selfish gene can lead to a virtuous & cooperative citizen. Interesting stuff.
Read Samoa Nov 2003

LibraryThing member Paul_S

I enjoyed the book but disagree with the author on the conclusions since unlike the author I'm not a anarcho-socialist. It's extremely biased but what is presented is mostly fact and history, even if examples are cherry-picked, but that's what happens when you start of with a clear agenda and don't

let mere facts interfere with your plan.

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