Why We Hate: Understanding the Roots of Human Conflict

Why We Hate explores the contradiction between humans' capacity for hatred and their evolutionary development as a social species. It argues that our modern skulls house Stone Age minds, leading to prejudice and egregious cases of hatred. The book offers constructive suggestions for reconciling these aspects of our nature.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 20 July 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Why We Hate delves into a thought-provoking exploration of the contradiction between humans' remarkable capacity for hatred and their evolutionary development as a social species. This book addresses a pressing issue of longstanding interest and renewed relevance: why a social species like Homo sapiens should exhibit such profound hatred towards itself. Despite our shared humanity and social nature, we engage in war, discrimination, and prejudice against one another based on various factors such as nationality, class, race, sexual orientation, religion, and gender. The question remains: why are humans simultaneously so social and so hateful towards each other? In his book, renowned philosopher Michael Ruse examines scientific understandings of human hatred, particularly drawing from Darwinian evolutionary theory. Through his comprehensive analysis, Ruse uncovers the secret to this paradox rooted in our tribal evolutionary past. Approximately ten thousand years ago, we transitioned from being hunter-gatherers to agriculturalists, a significant shift that paved the way for modern civilization. However, as Ruse paraphrases, our modern skulls still house Stone Age minds. By combining rigorous argumentation with an engaging and accessible style, Ruse employs historical examples, delving into the history of two World Wars and the U.S. offensive against Iraq. He also provides numerous pertinent and up-to-date examples of prejudice, including the significance of Brexit and the systemic racism that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement. Ruse pays particular attention to egregious cases of hatred, such as the treatment of Jews by the Third Reich, and to contemporary issues that continue to be of utmost importance, such as the status of women. In his conclusion, Ruse offers constructive suggestions for reconciling the contradictory aspects of our nature. Why We Hate will captivate a wide range of readers, including those interested in the role of human nature in current events and those seeking insights into the complexities of human behavior.

Dimension: 178 x 127 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197621288