Pascal Boyer Book order

The collection features seven previously published articles that are newly contextualized within contemporary debates in anthropology, psychology, and human evolution. It advocates for an 'integrated' social science approach, blending insights from evolutionary biology, experimental psychology, economics, anthropology, and history. This work aligns with E. O. Wilson's idea of 'consilience,' promoting a multidisciplinary framework for addressing complex social science questions, making it a significant addition to the evolving discourse in the field.

A watershed book that masterfully integrates insights from evolutionary biology, genetics, psychology, economics, and more to explore the development and workings of human societies "There is no good reason why human societies should not be described and explained with the same precision and success as the rest of nature." Thus argues evolutionary psychologist Pascal Boyer in this uniquely innovative book. Integrating recent insights from evolutionary biology, genetics, psychology, economics, and other fields, Boyer offers precise models of why humans engage in social behaviors such as forming families, tribes, and nations, or creating gender roles. In fascinating, thought-provoking passages, he explores questions such as, Why is there conflict between groups? Why do people believe low-value information such as rumors? Why are there religions? What is social justice? What explains morality? Boyer provides a new picture of cultural transmission that draws on the pragmatics of human communication, the constructive nature of memory in human brains, and human motivation for group formation and cooperation.

The collection features a series of essays where anthropologists engage in a critical examination of the unique characteristics of religious concepts and categories. Through their debates, they explore the complexities of belief systems, the cultural contexts that shape them, and the implications for understanding religion in a broader anthropological framework. The work invites readers to consider diverse perspectives on how religion is conceptualized and categorized across different societies.

Focusing on oral communication, this book explores the significant role of licensed speakers within ritual contexts, highlighting how tradition is conveyed and perceived. It examines the interplay between tradition and truth, emphasizing the unique methods through which cultural narratives are shared and maintained. The analysis reveals the complexities of communication in preserving and transmitting societal values and beliefs.

Do they have features in common and why does religion persist in the face of science? Pascal Boyer shows how experimental findings in cognitive science, evolutionary biology and cultural anthropology are now providing precise answers to these general questions, and providing, for the first time, real answers to the question: Why do we believe?