The God Instinct: The Psychology of Souls, Destiny, and the Meaning of Life - Couverture rigide

"A cogently constructed, witty set of arguments about why humans, as a species,almost cannot help but believe in the supernatural. The author approaches these dicey subjects with a dazzlingly insightful reading of the empirical literature on human cognition and development, a sly sense of humor, and an obvious compassion for those who do not share his beliefs. He also has a lot of fun. Summing Up: Essential. All readers."
One of The Top 25 Books of the Year, American Library Association

'Thanks to evolution we naturally expect there to be a god - or gods - watching over us. Our brains interpret the world around us in ways that created God; the notion of the divine is a scratch on our psychological lenses, says psychologist Jesse Bering. Bering admits that explaining away God in this way is radical and possibly dangerous, but he handles it deftly. His writing is witty, crammed with pop-culture references, and he employs examples and analogies that make his arguments seem like common sense rather than the hard-earned scientific insights they really are. This fascinating book presents gentle, nuanced but convincing arguments for atheism. Bering knows he can't change the world, though. Thoroughly and permanently removing God from our heads would require a neurosurgeon not a science teacher, he says.'
New Scientist

'A balanced and considered approach to this often inflammatory topic'
Nature

'Jesse Bering is a brilliant young psychologist, a gifted storyteller and a very funny man. And his first book, The God Instinct, is a triumph-a moving, provocative, and entertaining exploration of the human search for meaning.'
Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology, Yale University, author of How Pleasure Works

'There's a place in our minds where God goes. This spellbinding book explains how: We humans find the idea of God inviting because we evolved to perceive minds all around us. Bering's own clever research on children s perceptions of the supernatural is the centerpiece in his rich portrayal of the newly unfolding science of belief in God.'
Daniel M. Wegner, Harvard University, author of The Illusion of Conscious Will

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Since God didn't exist, our human ancestors found it necessary to invent him. In this scintillating book, Jesse Bering explains, with characteristic wit and wisdom, how, in the course of human evolution, God returned the compliment -- by helping individuals, despite themselves, lead better lives. --

--Nicholas Humphrey, Emeritus Professor London School of Economics and author of Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness

Since God didn't exist, our human ancestors found it necessary to invent him. In this scintillating book, Jesse Bering explains, with characteristic wit and wisdom, how, in the course of human evolution, God returned the compliment -- by helping individuals, despite themselves, lead better lives. --Nicholas Humphrey, Emeritus Professor London School of Economics and author of Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness

Since God didn't exist, our human ancestors found it necessary to invent him. In this scintillating book, Jesse Bering explains, with characteristic wit and wisdom, how, in the course of human evolution, God returned the compliment -- by helping individuals, despite themselves, lead better lives. --Nicholas Humphrey, Emeritus Professor London School of Economics and author of Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness

I'm certainly no expert in evolutionary psychology, but [after reading The God Instinct] I feel like one... a book without God but brimful of humanity. --Simon Winchcombe, Producer, BBC Horizon

There is no bigger subject than the new science of religion. The God Instinct is a surprising and original take on why we believe in God - and how this belief led to our success as a species. Why does even the most committed atheist turn to God when a family member falls seriously ill, or they find themselves in close personal danger? Using the latest scientific evidence, Jesse Bering explores how people s everyday thoughts, behaviours and emotions betray an innate tendency to reason as though God were deeply invested in their public lives and secret affairs.

In this entertaining and thought-provoking book, he argues that this religious reflex is not an irrational aberration, and that God is not a cultural invention or an existential band-aid, but an intrinsic human trait, developed over millennia, that carries powerful evolutionary benefits. Breaking new ground, The God Instinct uses hard science to show that God is not a delusion, but a sophisticated cognitive illusion. Bering reveals the roots of religion in our ability to think beyond our immediate surroundings, and explains why this capacity for belief sets us apart from other animals. From a respected psychologist and award-winning columnist, this is the only book to explain belief in God from a scientific perspective. Jesse Bering not only presents serious ideas in an accessible and engaging way, but also takes a more considered, rational approach than the extreme views so often found on either side of the great debate.