Our species has a rare and perplexing combination of moral tendencies: we can be the nastiest of species and also the nicest. How to understand this? Evolution science provides and understanding. So also do many religions, especially Roman Catholicism and Theravada Buddhism. We will explore each of these understandings. The BIG QUESTION: How might the balance be shifted...... away from nasty, in favor of nice? 

Suggested readings: 

Richard Wrangham    THE GOODNESS PARADOX. THE STRANGE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VIRTUE AND VIOLENCE IN HUMAN EVOLUTION. And brief handouts.

STEVE PIKER is an anthropologist with fieldwork in Thailand and the US. He has spent 44 years at Swarthmore College and has offerred many courses of four of Maine senior colleges. His career long interests are human evolution and religion. 

PAUL DOHERTY is an armchair theologian with experience in music, broadcasting, and ministry. He has also been teaching for several years at two Maine senior colleges, including South Coast.

Fridays: 10-11:30  Oct 18  Oct 25  Nov 1, Nov 8, Nov 15, Nov 22

on ZOOM