Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This book argues that despite the many real advantages that industrial modernity has yielded -- including large gains in wealth, longevity, and (possibly) happiness -- it has occurred together with the appearance of a variety of serious problems. Chief among these are losses in perceived existential purpose and increases in psychopathology. The book advances a highly original theory of the ultimate basis of these trends, which unites prior work in psychometrics, evolutionary psychology, and evolutionary biology.
Synopsis
1. Introduction2. Defending Biobehavioral Science3. Medieval and Modern Worlds4. Discontent with Modernity5. Enlightenment Never6. Making the Case for Mutation Accumulation7. The Social Epistasis Amplification Model: A Diachronic Test and Expansion of Theoretical Foundations8. Biocosmic Pessimism