Human Evolution, Economic Progress and Evolutionary Failure

Description

This monograph is an innovative endeavour in many ways. First, it brings to the fore the synergy between human evolution and economic and social progress. Second, it acknowledges the critical contributions from the routine adherence to contextual truth and contextual non-violence of humanity at large. Finally, it argues that the world is sliding towards evolutionary failure by not moving further forward in the adherence to the two core human values. For all those interested in development in a holistic sense, the book will inspire thinking and debate. Human evolution will go on – one way or the other – with or without adherence to truth and non-violence. The book stresses the time is now, to go for the best and eschew the worst. Human Evolution, Economic Progress and Evolutionary Failure Contents List of tables List of boxes List of appendices Foreword Acknowledgements Prologue 1 Introduction and context 1.1 Population growth and multidimensional progress 1.2 Literature gap and motivation Notes Part I: Human evolution 2 Synoptic view of human evolution via natural selection 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Evolution theories: pre-Darwin 2.3 Evolution of the ‘scientifi c theories’ of evolution 2.4 Darwin on evolution 2.5 Post-Darwin syntheses 2.6 Evolution of Homo sapiens 2.7 Critics of Darwinism Appendix 2A: DNA at the core Appendix 2B: List of selected books by Charles Darwin Appendix 2C: Notes on Darwin’s Origin of the Species Appendix 2D: Key points from Herbert Spencer’s1 857 article on progress Notes 3 Human evolution. Beyond the physical 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Evolution of thinking 3.3 Behind the evolution of the humane 3.4 Social and cultural evolution 3.5 Evolution of political order 3.6 Economic evolution 3.7 Evolutionary synthesis 3.8 Evolution of science 3.9 God factor and science 3.10 An end note Notes Part II: Economic progress 4 Population growth and economic progress. Pre-industrial through the 1940s 4.1 Population growth: guestimates and estimates 4.2 Human development and economic growth 4.3 Next chapter: focus on post-war growth Notes 5 Progress since 1950 and the emerging challenges 5.1 Colonies to free countries 5.2 Economic growth 5.3 Progress on life expectancy 5.4 Future: prospects and challenges 5.5 Inequality, the mother of all ills 5.6 Inequality: recent studies 5.7 Attacking inequality: suggested policies and actions Appendix 5A: Books on US inequality: selected list from inequality.org Appendix 5B: Five books on inequality: brief notes/reviews Appendix 5C: Chomsky’s ten principles of concentration of wealth Appendix 5D: Tables Notes Part III: Understanding and tackling evolutionary failure 6 The idea of evolutionary failure 6.1 Not only mismatch, but also failure 6.2 Evolutionary failure 6.3 EF: a world divided 6.4 EF: violence of many forms 6.5 EF: intellectuals could have helped to stop 6.6 Beyond the God delusion: a humble clarifi cation 6.7 Two scenarios Appendix 6A: Google search results on evolutionary failure Appendix 6B: Nobel laureates in economics and acknowledged area of expertise Appendix 6C: Table Notes 7 Addressing evolutionary failure: the way forward 7.1 Evolution of thinking 7.2 Basic unity of mankind 7.3 Addressing EF 7.4 Promoting free movement of people 7.5 Promoting non-violence 7.6 UNESCO should take the lead Appendix 7A: A brief on the Humanist Manifesto 2003 Appendix 7B: Nobel Peace Prize winners, 1991–2015 Notes Epilogue. Hope for humanity References and further reading Index