The Science of Good and Evil by Shermer, Michael -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Page Table of Figures Epigraph Table of Contents PROLOGUE: - ONE LONG ARGUMENT I - THE ORIGINS OF MORALITY

1 - TRANSCENDENT MORALITY: HOW EVOLUTION ENNOBLES ETHICS

A Moral Dilemma Ennobling Evolutionary Ethics: A Moral Dilemma Resolved An Exegesis of Why and How We Are Moral Free Rider: Facing the Judge

2 - WHY WE ARE MORAL: THE EVOLUTIONARY ORIGINS OF MORALITY

3 - WHY WE ARE IMMORAL: WAR, VIOLENCE, AND THE IGNOBLE SAVAGE WITHIN

The Problem of Evil The Myth of Pure Evil Oskar Schindler or Amon Goeth? Explaining Evil Fuzzy Logic, Fuzzy Evil The Erotic-Fierce People: A Case Study in Fuzzy Logic The Myth of Pure Good: Noble Savages and Beautiful People The Ignoble Savage and the Nature of War In the Heart of Every Human

4 - MASTER OF MY FATE: MAKING MORAL CHOICES IN A DETERMINED UNIVERSE

Appointment in Samara: Free Will and the Problem of Determinism John Hinckley and the Paradox of Moral Determinism Moral Determinism and the Law Free Will as a Useful Fiction: Is the Free Will/Determinism Problem an Insoluble One? Free Will and Indeterminism Free Will, Fuzzy Logic, and Hinckley’s Guilt Free Will and Neuroscience Free Will and Genetics Free Will and Evolution Free Will and Chaos and Complexity Theory

II - A SCIENCE OF PROVISIONAL ETHICS

5 - CAN WE BE GOOD WITHOUT GOD? : SCIENCE, RELIGION, AND MORALITY

Good God The Grand Inquisitors Say No Theism, Atheism, and Morality What Would You Do if There Were No God? How We Can Be Good Without God

6 - HOW WE ARE MORAL: ABSOLUTE, RELATIVE, AND PROVISIONAL ETHICS

Absolute Morality Relative Morality Provisional Ethics Fuzzy Provisionalism Moral Intuition and the Captain Kirk Principle Provisional Morality and Moral Justice: The Best We Can Do

7 - HOW WE ARE IMMORAL: RIGHT AND WRONG AND HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE

The Ask God Principle: Religious Right and Wrong The Ask First Principle: Secular Right and Wrong The Happiness Principle: Personal Right and Wrong The Liberty Principle: Social and Political Right and Wrong The Moderation Principle: Extremism Is No Virtue, Moderation Is No Vice Provisional Ethics Put to the Test Provisional Morality and Truth Telling and Lying Provisional Morality and Adultery Provisional Morality and Pornography Provisional Morality and Abortion Provisional Morality and Cloning and Genetic Engineering Provisional Morality and Animal Rights Cicero’s Warning

8 - RISE ABOVE: TOLERANCE, FREEDOM, AND THE PROSPECTS FOR HUMANITY

The Domesticated Primate From Intolerance to Tolerance: How the Mind Works From Enmity to Amity: How the World Works Moral Heroism: Skepticism as a Virtue

Also by Michael Shermer APPENDIX I - THE DEVIL UNDER FORM OF BABOON: THE EVOLUTION OF EVOLUTIONARY ETHICS APPENDIX II - MORAL AND RELIGIOUS UNIVERSALS AS A SUBSET OF HUMAN UNIVERSALS NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INDEX ABOUT THE AUTHOR Noted science historian Michael Shermer explores the science behind belief in these titles available from Owl Books Copyright Page