The Evolution of Morality and Religion

includes index and biblioraphy

Concepts and codes of living Concepts of morality and religion The complexity of brain control Ideas about the origins of morality Morality distinguished from sexual and other customs Codes of conduct Consequences of social evolution Cooperation and morality Morality and religions Cooperation, altruism, reciprocal altruism The commonality of genes and the concepts of altruism Cooperative behaviour in animals Competition, aggression and war The evolution of altruism Biological capabilities needed for altruism and morality Capabilities Which brains would allow reciprocal altruism? The capacity for recognising others Awareness and consciousness Feelings and emotions in relation to morality 98 Cognitive responses to moral issues 105 What is needed biologically for morality? 109 Ideas about morality 115 What is right and what is wrong? 115 Obligations, rights and evaluation 127 Knowledge and conscience 134 Morality in relation to codes of sexual behaviour 140 Development of morality in the young 152 Morality and law 157 Conclusions about the evolution of morality 161 The origins and value of religion 164 The moral core of religion 164 Other aspects of religious practice 168 Goodness, glory and paradise 173 The evolutionary basis of religion 176 The effects of new knowledge on religion 181 Harms associated with religious practice 185 The value of religions and their future 189 Other views about the origins of morality and religion 194 Morality, religion and biology as mutually opposed 194 The `selfish` gene, sociobiology, morality and religion 197 Social and political consequences of this biological view of morality and religion 204 Government, free competition and the maintenance of a moral society 204 Our views of other species 212 Morality and religion in other species 217