The Case for Rational Optimism tackles a host of challengingsubjects in an engaging, accessible, down-to-earthstyle. It is intellectually serious, ceaselessly intriguing,and devoid of banalities. While other books in this genretend to be oriented toward self-help, this volume bringsevolutionary biology, neuroscience, psychology, sociology,economics, and a keen sense of history to the topic.
Robinson begins with three goals: making the case forfeeling good about oneself, about humanity in general, andabout the global situation. He addresses such seeminglydisparate subjects as selfi shness versus altruism, mind andfree will, human nature, and issues relating to economics,technology, the environment, and more. Unifying theseideas into a coherent philosophical whole are centralconcepts: evolution has endowed our species with moregood qualities than bad, and why; those qualities, andour use of reason, are the foundations of civilization, andhow; and, consistent with our nature, we make a betterworld by valuing human life therefore enabling others tofl ourish in ways they freely choose.
The Case for Rational Optimism argues that the highlychallenging conditions confronting early man created aDarwinian selective pressure for cooperation, even altruism,among members of a tribe. Th e author fi nds evidencefor this in the way our brains work, and in observablehuman behavior. He argues against existential despairover the human condition. Even though there probably isno grand celestial design investing life with meaning, heconsiders this liberating, giving every person the freedomto craft their own meaning. To Robinson, whether sentientbeings experience suff ering or joy is the only thing thatmatters; without emotive highs and lows, the Universewould hardly matter.
Frank S. Robinson graduated fromNew York University Law School and isa retired administrative law judge. He isthe author of four books including Life,Liberty and Happiness, Machine Politics:A Study of Albany's O'Connell's, and Confessionsof a Numismatic Fanatic: How toGet the Most Out of Coin Collecting. Heis currently in the business of buying andselling ancient and world coins.
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