Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict by Ara Norenzayan ISBN 9780691169743, 0691169748 instant download

Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict by Ara Norenzayan ISBN 9780691169743, 0691169748 instant download

A groundbreaking account of how religion made society possible

How did human societies scale up from tight-knit groups of hunter-gatherers to the large, anonymous, cooperative societies of today―even though anonymity is the enemy of cooperation? How did organized religions with "Big Gods"―the great monotheistic and polytheistic faiths―spread to colonize most minds in the world? In Big Gods , Ara Norenzayan makes the surprising argument that these fundamental puzzles about the origins of civilization answer each other.

Sincere faith in watchful Big Gods unleashed unprecedented cooperation within ever-expanding groups, yet at the same time it introduced a new source of potential conflict between competing groups. And in some parts of the world, societies with atheist majorities―some of the most cooperative and prosperous in the world―have climbed religion's ladder, and then kicked it away.

Big Gods answers fundamental questions about the origins and spread of world religions and helps us understand the rise of cooperative societies without belief in gods.

"Ranging across quantitative studies, historical cross-cultural examples, theological texts, and the practices of believers, Norenzayan convincingly argues that religions with Big Gods are successful because they generate a sense of being watched and regulated, require extravagant displays of commitment that weed out religious impostors, and encourage solidarity and trust." ― Publishers Weekly

"I found this book insightful, well-written, and to the point." ---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution

"The book is a breakthrough, and will undoubtedly influence scientific perspectives on religion and secularism. . . . Without a doubt, Big Gods is a seminal and outstanding book, rocketing the psychological and evolutionary understanding of faith and secularization to new heights and new questions. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in human evolution, psychology, and the scientific study of religion." ---Michael B