Episode 29
29: The Goodness Paradox
The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution
(00:00) Intro and T-shirts
(06:11) The News: We have a new President! The Inauguration, white nationalist insurrection, impeachment hearings and Republican traitors, Social media bans.
(49:24) The Goodness Paradox. Discussion of the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Richard Wrangham's book. The incredible danger and violence of the human species, contrasted with our high capacity for cooperation. Why these two characteristics aren't opposites. Violence in Chimpanzees, cooperation in Bonobos. The different levels of aggression within groups, vs. outgroups. Peace at home, war abroad. What really happens under anarchy--weak governments or no governments. Domestic violence. The Congo wars and the genocide of 5 million.
(01:41:59) Summation and Outro: There’s simply no way to avoid a descent into both violence and madness, without understanding their causes and cures. Americans seem to have little interest in doing this.
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Show notes:
"The Goodness Paradox" by Richard Wrangham
Richard Wrangham interview on Big Think
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