Homo Novus - A Human Without Illusions

Ulrich Frey (philosophy), Charlotte Störmer and Kai Willführ (biology) work in an interdisciplinary research group at the University of Giessen, applying evolutionary theory to a broad range of fields. The following authors contributed to the chapters of this book: Kurt Bayertz, Athanasios Chasiotis, Robin Dunbar, Harald A. Euler, Detlef Fetchenhauer, Julia Fischer, Bernulf Kanitscheider, Chris Knight, Virpi Lummaa, Amy R. Parish, Julia Pradel, Gerhard Roth, Wulf Schiefenhövel, Rebecca Sear, Volker Sommer and Gerhard Vollmer.

Humans Are Exceptional.- The Position of Man in the Cosmos.- Living Differences.- Nothing to Talk About.- We Are Independent of Our Sociobiological Roots.- The True Egoist Is Cooperative.- The Social Brain and Its Implications.- Why Most Theories Get It Wrong.- The Biological Imperative Doesn't Matter to Us.- Mortality Crises and Their Consequences for Human Life Histories.- Costs and Consequences of Reproduction.- Height and Reproductive Success.- The Past Doesn't Echo in Our Heads.- Developmental Psychology Without Dualistic Illusions.- The Psychology of Families.- Moral, Religion and Culture Are Social Constructions.- Moral Normativity Is (Naturally) Grown.- The Origins of Symbolic Culture.- Belief in Melanesia.- We Are Free in What We Want.- Free Will.- Could I Have Done Otherwise?.- Epilogue.- Modern Illusions of Humankind.