Tedxjamaica robert trivers deceit and selfdeception. Robert trivers is one of the few scientists able to take command of an evolutionary perspective on subterfuge, and in his new book deceit and selfdeception. His darwinian theory of selfdeception is arguably his most provocative and interesting idea so far. The logic of deceit and selfdeception in human life. Biologist robert trivers has written a fascinating book about the survival value of selfdeception. Deceit and self deception download ebook pdf, epub.
Robert trivers quotes author of the oxford book of modern. May 15, 2016 most recently, trivers has created a theory selfdeception as an adaptive evolutionary strategy. Biologist robert trivers book the folly of fools tells the manifest ways human beings deceive themselves, from politics and religion to science and everyday life. Jan 30, 2014 after decades of research, robert trivers has at last provided the missing theory to answer these questions. Deceit and self deception by robert trivers mentorbox. Trivers identifies at the beginning that its still an infant field.
We do it for biological reasonsin order to help us survive and procreate. In his bold new work, prominent biological theorist robert trivers unflinchingly argues that selfdeception evolved in the service of deceitthe better to fool others. I am rating it one star to catch the attention of readers who might think it is a different book. The logic of deceit and selfdeception in human life new york. Robert trivers is a distinguished biologist with an enormous. Tedx talk on deceit and self deception in kingston jamaica. The central claim of the book is that selfdeception evolves in the service of deception and the general argument is that we deceive ourselves the better to deceive others.
He explains that deceit and self deceit are costly but they are critical to the survival of the species. Sep 19, 2015 a new york times notable book of 2012. Why, however, would organisms both seek out information and then act to destroy it. Jan 03, 2012 why, however, would organisms both seek out information and then act to destroy it. All the better to fool you with, my dear robert trivers. A new york times notable book of 2012 whether itos in a cockpit at. In the earlier portion of the book, trivers traces the way in which selfdeception involved in human beings and other animals, particularly as a tool to make the transmission of the. Trivers, 9780141019918, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. The logic of deceit and self deception in human life 9780465027552 by trivers, robert and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The folly of fools is a book about deception and selfdeception and just the first topics the author examines give you in advance an idea on what the whole book is about.
Robert trivers and noam chomsky deceit and selfdeception. The logic of deceit and selfdeception in human life 3. According to the book the folly of fools the logic of deceit and self deception in human life, written by robert trivers, we as humans lie to ourselves to better lie to others. Rutgersthe first wave of attacks against professor trivers. Robert trivers has a track record of producing highly original ideas, which have gone on to stimulate much research. Newton, chairman of the black panther party, in 1978 when newton applied while in prison to do a reading course with trivers as part of a graduate degree in history of. Robert trivers contributor of the oxford book of modern. Dec 29, 2010 in this tedxjamaica talk robert trivers describes the capacity, role and function of deceit and self deception in humans.
This is the british edition of the book published in the usa entitled the folly of fools. The book is enlivened by trivers candid personal style, and is a pleasure to read. Robert trivers s new book is a curious document a book about deception and self deception that is itself deceptive, in structure, voice and argument. Fooling yourself the better to fool others by trivers, robert isbn. What emerges is a picture of deceit and selfdeception as, at root, different sides of the same coin. Robert triverss new book is a curious document a book about deception and selfdeception that is itself deceptive, in structure, voice and. A new york times notable book of 2012whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office. The logic of deceit and self deception in human life basic books isbn 9780465027552. The two began writing a book titled deceit and selfdeception, but the publishing house closed. A new york times notable book of 2012 whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and self deceivebut deceit and self deception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. Whilst on holiday i decided to read a book telling the life story of one of the worlds most influential evolutionary theorists. That is, that the major function of selfdeception is to better deceive others. Despite it not being about the application of evolutionary psychology to the workplace, i thought this post would be of value regardless. An evolutionary biologist investigates why lying and selfdeception play.
Robert trivers scientific work has concentrated on two areas, social theory based on natural selection of which a theory of self deception is one part and the biology of selfish genetic elements which leads to certain kinds of internal genetic conflicts. In this book, deceit and selfdeception are analyzed from different perspectives of life and different perspectives scientifically. Barash, university of washington, department of psychology, seattle, wa, usa, email. The folly of fools deceit and self deception by robert trivers fooling yourself the better to fool others. In santa cruz in the 80s, trivers formed a fast friendship with huey newton, the black panther, whom he described as an untutored genius, but one who was also in some respects unteachable. Trivers wrote the original foreword to richard dawkins book the selfish gene, in which trivers first proposed his adaptive theory of selfdeception.
Robert trivers unflinchingly argues that selfdeception evolved in the. The logic of deceit and self deception in human life. A biological theory of why we all lie fails to convince. The logic of deceit and selfdeception in human life first printing by trivers, robert isbn. Robert trivers is a pioneering figure in the field of sociobiology. Robert trivers is one of the few scientists able to take command of an evolutionary perspective on subterfuge, and in his new book deceit and self deception. Dec 25, 2011 the complexity of organisms, trivers suggests, stems at least in part from a primordial arms race between deceit and deceit detection. This volume from robert trivers argues that self deceit is an evolutionary trait that emerged to enable individual human beings to more effectively deceive others. For natural selection and social theory, he has selected eleven of his most influential papers, including several classic papers from the early 1970s on the evolution of reciprocal altruism, parentoffspring conflicts, and asymmetry in sexual selection, which helped to establish the centrality. Symmetry and dance tpz publishers isbn 9780615287560. A new york times notable book of 2012 whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and selfdeceivebut deceit and selfdeception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster.
In this foundational book, robert trivers seeks to answer one of the most provocative and consequential questions to face humanity. Jan 07, 2014 in his bold new work, prominent biological theorist robert trivers unflinchingly argues that selfdeception evolved in the service of deceitthe better to fool others. Oct 07, 2011 robert trivers is one of the few scientists able to take command of an evolutionary perspective on subterfuge, and in his new book deceit and selfdeception. Biologist robert trivers book the folly of fools tells the manifest ways human beings deceive themselves, from politics and religion to science and everyday. For us, deceit and self deception are two sides of the same coin and trivers covers a huge amount of ground to make his case. In this groundbreaking book, robert trivers examines not only how we self deceive, but also. Trivers has nibbled away at the theme of selfdeception, the subject of this book.
The logic of deceit and self deception in human life basic books, 2011 for the new york times. Jan 07, 2014 a new york times notable book of 2012whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and selfdeceive but deceit and selfdeception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. For us, deceit and selfdeception are two sides of the same coin and trivers covers a huge amount of ground to make his case. A new york times notable book of 2012whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and selfdeceive but deceit and selfdeception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. This is the best talk i have given on self deception, in part because tedx talks are limited to 20 minutes and in part because it is delivered in jamaica with many local references. Robert trivers having been cited as one of the greatest thinkers of the 21st century by time, trivers has had one of the greatest individual impacts on the study of social behavior among humans and animals. We deceive ourselves the better to deceive others, and thereby reap the advantages. The logic of deceit and self deception in human life new york. Trivers is professor of anthropology and biological sciences and is one of the worlds most influential evolutionary biologists of this. Recently an extraordinary truth was revealed about rutgers university. For natural selection and social theory, he has selected eleven of his most influential papers, including several classic papers from the early 1970s on the evolution of reciprocal altruism, parentoffspring conflicts, and asymmetry in sexual selection, which helped to establish the centrality of sociobiology, as well as some. Is robert trivers deceiving himself about evolutionary. In this book, deceit and self deception are analyzed from different perspectives of life and different perspectives scientifically. What emerges is a picture of deceit and self deception as, at root, different sides of the same coin.
Robert trivers is one of the leading figures pioneering the field of sociobiology. Aug 16, 2012 tedxjamaica robert trivers deceit and self deception. Trivers argues that deceit and selfdeception are two sides of the same coin we fool ourselves the better to fool others. Robert trivers was the man who produced the unifying theory of kin selection and altruism. Both make it harder for others to detect your deception, and also allow you to deceive with less immediate cognitive cost.
Buy robert trivers ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. The logic of deceit and self deception in human life 3. After decades of research, robert trivers has at last provided the missing theory to answer these questions. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, ted has created a program called tedx. Whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and selfdeceivebut deceit and selfdeception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. Like a very disturbing feature of overconfidence is that it often appears to be poorly associated with knowledgethat is, the more ignorant the individual, the more confident he or she maybe. Dec 30, 2011 robert triverss new book is a curious document a book about deception and selfdeception that is itself deceptive, in structure, voice and argument. Trivers wrote the original foreword to richard dawkins book the selfish gene in which trivers first proposed his adaptive theory of selfdeception. Trivers has nibbled away at the theme of selfdeception, the subject of this book, for over 30 years. Why do i talk about, or wish to talk about, deception and self deception in the same breath.
Deceit and selfdeception by robert trivers penguin. Deceit and selfdeception by robert trivers avid reader. Deceit and selfdeception by robert trivers penguin books. The question then arises of how the self can be both deceiver and deceived. The central claim of the book is that self deception evolves in the service of deception and the general argument is that we deceive ourselves the better to deceive others.
He received his bachelors and phd from harvard university. Trivers calls deceit a deep feature of life, even a necessity, given. Trivers focuses primarily on humans but he includes examples from many other organisms as well. Because i think you miss the truth about each if you are not conscious of the other and the relationship between the two. The complexity of organisms, trivers suggests, stems at least in part from a primordial arms race between deceit and deceit detection. A new york times notable book of 2012 whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and self. Robert trivers scientific work has concentrated on two areas, social theory based on natural selection and the biology of selfish genetic elements. Fooling yourself the better to fool others by robert trivers.
A new york times notable book of 2012whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and self deceive but deceit and self deception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. According to the book the folly of fools the logic of deceit and selfdeception in human life, written by robert trivers, we as humans lie to ourselves to better lie to others. The folly of fools by robert trivers 1111 words bartleby. Trivers is a wideangle look at deception, its origins, functions and results. The logic of deceit and selfdeception in human life basic books, 2011 for the new york times. A new york times notable book of 2012whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and selfdeceivebut deceit and selfdeception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. The logic of deceit and self deception in human life 2011, basic books, isbn 0465027555 by robert trivers is a book that examines the evolutionary explanations for deceit and self deception. One important aspect of this is deception, and thats what rutgers anthropology professor robert trivers examines in the folly of fools. The folly of fools is a book about deception and self deception and just the first topics the author examines give you in advance an idea on what the whole book is about.
Posted april 7, 20, updated may 6, 20, and february 24, 2014 backgroundhow does rutgers deal with real violence vs imagined violence. Tedxjamaica robert trivers deceit and self deception. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, ted has created a program called. In the earlier portion of the book, trivers traces the way in which self deception involved in human beings and other animals, particularly as a tool to make the transmission of the. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Newton, trivers recalls, was a master at propagating deception, he was a master at seeing through. In this tedxjamaica talk robert trivers describes the capacity, role and function of deceit and self deception in humans. Trivers has nibbled away at the theme of self deception, the subject of this book, for over 30 years. The illusion of control, the construction of biased social theory, false personal narratives, and so on. In deceit and self deception robert trivers, whose work has been acclaimed by figures such as richard dawkins and steven pinker, looks at how and why we so often deceive ourselves we lie to ourselves every day. The bad new is that the forces were dealing withthat is, of deceit and self deception are very powerful. One of the great thinkers in the history of western thought steven pinker this is not prof. Robert trivers is an american evolutionary biologist, who has. In deceit and self deception robert trivers, whose work has been acclaimed by figures such as richard dawkins and steven pinker, looks at how and why we so often deceive ourselves.