Initiated by Robert Wesson, Evolution and Human Values is a collection of newly written essays designed to bring interdisciplinary insight to that area of thought where human evolution intersects with human values. The disciplines brought to bear on the subject are diverse - philosophy, psychiatry, behavioral science, biology, anthropology, psychology, biochemistry, and sociology. Yet, as organized by co-editor Patricia A. Williams, the volume falls coherently into three related sections. Entitled Evolutionary Ethics, the first section brings contemporary research to an area first explored by Herbert Spencer. Evolutionary ethics looks to the theory of evolution by natural selection to find values for human living. The second section, Evolved Ethics, discusses the evolution of language and religion and their impact on moral thought and feeling. Evolved ethics was partly Charles Darwin's subject in The Descent of Man. The last section bears the title Scientific Ethics. A nascent field, scientific ethics asks about the evolution of human nature and the implications of that nature for ethical theory and social policy. Together, the essays collected here provide important contemporary insights into what it is - and what it may be - to be human.

Initiated by Robert Wesson, Evolution and Human Values is a collection of newly written essays designed to bring interdisciplinary insight to that area of thought where human evolution intersects with human values. The disciplines brought to bear on the subject are diverse - philosophy, psychiatry, behavioral science, biology, anthropology, psychology, biochemistry, and sociology. Yet, as organized by co-editor Patricia A. Williams, the volume falls coherently into three related sections. Entitled Evolutionary Ethics, the first section brings contemporary research to an area first explored by Herbert Spencer. Evolutionary ethics looks to the theory of evolution by natural selection to find values for human living. The second section, Evolved Ethics, discusses the evolution of language and religion and their impact on moral thought and feeling. Evolved ethics was partly Charles Darwin's subject in The Descent of Man. The last section bears the title Scientific Ethics. A nascent field, scientific ethics asks about the evolution of human nature and the implications of that nature for ethical theory and social policy. Together, the essays collected here provide important contemporary insights into what it is - and what it may be - to be human.

Man has been pondering for centuries over the basis of his own ethical and aesthetic values. Until recent times, such issues were primarily fed by the thinking of philosophers, moralists and theologists, or by the findings of historians or sociologists relating to universality or variations in these values within various populations. Science has avoided this field of investigation within the confines of philosophy. Beyond the temptation to stay away from the field of knowledge science may also have felt itself unconcerned by the study of human values for a simple heuristic reason, namely the lack of tools allowing objective study. For the same reason, researchers tended to avoid the study of feelings or consciousness until, over the past two decades, this became a focus of interest for many neuroscientists. It is apparent that many questions linked to research in the field of neuroscience are now arising. The hope is that this book will help to formulate them more clearly rather than skirting them. The authors do not wish to launch a new moral philosophy, but simply to gather objective knowledge for reflection.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of tables -- List of boxes -- List of appendices -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Prologue -- 1 Introduction and context -- PART I Human evolution -- 2 Synoptic view of human evolution via natural selection -- 3 Human evolution: beyond the physical -- PART II Economic progress -- 4 Population growth and economic progress: pre-industrial through the 1940s -- 5 Progress since 1950 and the emerging challenges -- PART III Understanding and tackling evolutionary failure -- 6 The idea of evolutionary failure -- 7 Addressing evolutionary failure: the way forward -- Epilogue: hope for humanity -- References and further reading -- Index.

This book develops and tests an ecological and evolutionary theory of the causes of human values—the core beliefs that guide people’s cognition and behavior—and their variation across time and space around the world. We call this theory the parasite-stress theory of values or the parasite-stress theory of sociality. The evidence we present in our book indicates that both a wide span of human affairs and major aspects of human cultural diversity can be understood in light of variable parasite (infectious disease) stress and the range of value systems evoked by variable parasite stress. The same evidence supports the hypothesis that people have psychological adaptations that function to adopt values dependent upon local infectious-disease adversity. The authors have identified key variables, variation in infectious disease adversity and in the core values it evokes, for understanding these topics and in novel and encompassing ways. Although the human species is the focus in the book, evidence presented in the book shows that the parasite-stress theory of sociality informs other topics in ecology and evolutionary biology such as variable family organization and speciation processes and biological diversity in general in non-human animals.

This book analyzes the history and development of settlements—from the earliest periods in human history to the present day—from a Darwinian evolutionary perspective. At the foundation of the evolutionary model is the argument that the human capacity for complex communication and unique problem-solving ability have led to the formation and reality of the modern city and its scaled-up megacity status. While evolutionary theory forms the platform for the book’s argument, general systems theory provides the operational framework for the organization and interpretations of each chapter. Throughout the book, the authors tackle various issues, questions, and possibilities regarding the future development and evolution of human settlements.

A prestigious series of lectures that are international and intercultural, and transcend ethnic, national, religious, and ideological distinctions.

Coaches play a major role in helping people understand their values and the values of their surroundings and helping them make choices and adapt. Sometimes the choice may be to find a situation more in sync with your values. Or it may mean working hard on yourself or in concert with your partner, team, or organization. Whatever we need to do to attain it, a positive fit makes for a happier person, and a happier person will be more successful. This accessible and practical book will help coaches, educators, leaders, and managers understand the philosophy, methodology, and tools that can be used to make a person happier, healthier, and more productive at work and in life in general. This book compiles short vignettes from over a dozen global academics and celebrated executive coaches, sharing information about aligning values in different settings. Based on years of research and written for readers from all walks of life, you will learn that when you understand your core values, place them on a triaxial template, and align them with your definition of success, everything changes. It will help you come out of your comfort zone in order to embrace the future and enhance the quality of your life. For this, you need a concept, a methodology, and effective tools, all of which are offered in this book. Rich with practical step-by-step methodologies and tools to facilitate values-led leadership, coaching, and mentoring, this book is essential for any change agent, be it a coach, a leader, an educator, or any person who is interested in learning how to become more effective, improve their practice, and engage in self or professional coaching. At the same time, it will enhance leadership qualities.

The Gear Wheels That Drive All Relationships “The Gear Wheels that drive all our relationships” by Naresh Gathani is a book on the evolutionary cycles of all relationships. The evolution of our relationships is very structured and the book simplifies all my original concepts that I have introduced for the first time . Relationships define our existence . Some relationships are with human beings , other relationships are with animals , pets and nature. There are partly in-animate relationships with our careers , our wealth , our hobbies , our cars etc . But all relationships are driven by the same eleven gear wheels . The outcome and benefits of these relationships depend on our understanding of the gear wheels that drive the evolution of relationships and more importantly to understand what powers the evolutionary cycles . The first and the most important relationship is with ourselves , and this relationship is also driven by the same gear wheels as all the other relationships . Actually , this first relationship is totally central to all our other relationships , whether it is with another human being, with a pet or with our career . Failure to understand this will compromise the outcomes of all our other relationships . The major difference between the relationship with ourselves is that we do not pursue this relationship but it is given to us at birth . The beginnings of this relationship manifest in stages and this relationship evolves from birth and never stops evolving. All our other relationships come about because we actively or passively pursue interactions . The other major difference is that the relationship with ourselves is an obligatory one , we don’t get to choose . This book is about understanding the eleven gear wheels that drive all relationships and understanding the significance of the power source that drives the gear wheels . In many ways, a relationship is like a finely manufactured time piece . The precision of the gear wheels determine the function. The fluent interaction between the gear wheels will determine its fitness for purpose . The power source will determine the benefits it can bestow upon us . Naresh hopes that readers of all ages and backgrounds will enjoy reading this book on the gear wheels that drive all our relationships.

Who Cares About Wildlife? integrates social science theory in order to provide a conceptual structure for understanding and studying human interaction with wildlife. A thorough review of the current literature in conceptual areas, including norms, values, attitudes, emotions, wildlife value orientations, cultural change, and evolutionary forces/inherited tendencies is provided, and the importance of these areas in studying human-wildlife relationships is highlighted. No other book both considers the human relationship with wildlife and provides a theoretical framework for understanding this relationship on the individual, as well as cultural level. Who Cares About Wildlife? will be valuable both to students and to practitioners in wildlife management and conservation, as well those interested in the human relationship with wildlife, natural resources, and the environment.