The Evolution of the Human Mind: From Supernaturalism to Naturalism An Anthropological Perspective

For ages the events of human experience were explained by recourse to supernatural agents and forces. Given the rudimentary intellectual tools then available to the human race, no better explanations were possible. Over the ensuing centuries, the ideas and methods of empirical science came into being and were applied to all aspects of human experience. Conceptions of life, the world, the universe, and even of God were modified, with naturalistic interpretations challenging and supplanting supernaturalistic ones. Today the viewpoint of science is gaining ever-greater acceptance. In his eloquent new book, The Evolution of the Human Mind, Robert Carneiro traces the history of this development—from the Paleolithic to the present—vividly describing the major events that have marked this great transition in human thought.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1. The Emergence of the Supernatural Chapter 2. The Spirit World Elaborates Chapter 3. Origin Myths: Accounting for Things as They Are Chapter 4. The Life of the Soul After Death Chapter 5. The Later History of Soul Beliefs Chapter 6. The Birth and Evolution of the Gods Chapter 7. The Rise of Scientific Thinking Chapter 8 The Impact of the Physical Sciences Chapter 9. The Attenuation of the Concept of God Chapter 10. The Rise and Demise of Idealist Philosophy Chapter 11. The Expansion of Naturalism Chapter 12. The Coming of Evolution Chapter 13. The Impact of Evolution Chapter 14. The Religious Views of Charles Darwin Chapter 15. The Twin Specters of Atheism and Materialism Chapter 16. Vitalism versus Mechanism in the Interpretation of Life Chapter 17. Accounting for the Origin of Life Chapter 18. Evolution and Emergence Chapter 19. The Diminishing Role of God in History Chapter 20. Free Will versus Determinism Chapter 21. The Doctrine of the Two Magesteria Chapter 22. The Scientists Speak Up: The Theists Chapter 23. The Scientists Speak Up: The Non-Theists Chapter 24. Trends in Belief to the End of the Nineteenth Century Chapter 25. Secularism and Religion Continue to Compete Chapter 26. Current Status and Future Prospects References Index

About the Author :
Robert L. Carneiro, American Museum of Natural History New York, New York

Review :
I think the book is excellent. Easy to read - both because of its writing style and the layout in relatively brief sections. This makes it a pleasure to read - and the subject is so exhilarating! A book to read and then keep for reference.' Open Parachute blog Fall 2010 "An enormous achievement. Wherever I landed, whether it was the origin of 'emergence,' Einstein's religion, the death of Platonic views of nature, or the strangely self-contradictory worldview of Julian Huxley, I learned something new. Wise, authoritative, and entertaining!" RICHARD MILNER, Author, Darwin's Universe: Evolution from A to Z -- RICHARD MILNER Author, Darwin's Universe: Evolution from A to Z 2010 Carneiro (American Museum of Natural History) traces the notion of a thoroughgoing belief in unalloyed supernaturalism toward an attitude in which naturalism played an increasingly greater role from the Paleolithic to contemporary scientific thought. The soul had been seen early on as a supernatural, incorporeal, and immaterial entity that survives death. In fits and starts, the naturalistic tendency progressed throughout the centuries, leading to a more thoroughgoing, scientific present. With the onset of modernity, fewer people believed in supernaturalism, and contemporary atheism became a credible worldview. Carneiro references some of the most recent and important thought arising from the latest atheistic battery: Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens, in particular, in regard to the controversy about the God gene. The great debate today is between sociobiologists and cultural anthropologists to determine how much of human behavior and thought is genetically programmed and how much is culturally determined. Carneiro is firmly in the cultural camp, and longs for the day when humankind simply pursues truth and no longer seeks religious solace. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries. -- G. M. Smith, Delaware County Community College Choice January 2011 ...this book is interesting and informative. It is a nicely written contribution to understanding the evolution of competing ideas.' -- Kenneth M. Weiss, Penn State University Journal of Anthropological Research 2011 This book is a fine example of how pure anthropology can not only be relevant but powerful! The Evolution of the Human Mind is a skillfully written book that you won't regret buying. It is destined to be a classic. Carneiro makes direct statements that writers love to cite (and readers love to read). His publisher, Eliot Werner Publications, Inc., is proving to be one of the most interesting small presses to come around in awhile-- spend some time looking over what they have on offer!' dirtbrothers.org 2011