Alastair Hodges

The Human Herd Alastair Hodges

This book attempts to answer some of the big human questions in life. Why are we here and what is our purpose? Why can't we seem to prevent war and terrorism? Why does evil exist in the world? Why do so many of us believe in a God, but in different ones? Is there a best political system and if so what is it? On the way to answering these big questions, the reasons for some of the common but somewhat odd ways humans behave are also given. Why do humans put so much effort into fashion and sport? Why do celebrities exist and why do we pay them so much money and attention?Evolutionary theory is used as the basis for answering these questions. In particular, how insight into the instincts we have evolved as a social animal combined with the application of a few simple ideas provides the answers we seek. This is also a book about empowerment. Understanding why we want to behave as we do gives us the power to choose. With choice comes the power to change, to act in ways that truly let us achieve our goals and those of humanity. Our instincts have guided us to become the dominant animal species on earth, but they are mal-adapted to the power we now wield through the application of science and technology. It is necessary to move beyond them. We cannot just ignore our instincts, to do that our basic brain structure would need to evolve and we haven't the time for that to occur. Instead, we can change the ways we choose to satisfy our instincts. Though understanding what is driving us we can find ways to get the same satisfaction without destroying humanity or the planet upon which we depend.