Moral Tribes
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley June 20, 2014
Author Joshua Green
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ISBN: 9781782393375
Publisher: Atlantic Books
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Website: http://www.atlantic-books.co.uk
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Ah! Philosophy it’s an engrossing subject areas and none more so than when it relates to We, Us, the human race and how we choose to think or in this case moralise and manage to put all this moralising into the modern way of life.
Consider! Some say we have emerged from the depths of time, formulating into what we call modern man! Free thinking, able to almost leap tall building, emerging as a race into far greater, higher intelligence than ever before.
If this is so how does modern man go about finding their way through the maze of changing values and ethics that go with this move away from tribal to independent life styles.
While thinking on this consider, are things really any different to the age old tribal or territorial wars, are the modern morals and ethics any better than those that were somehow traditionally there, are we as modern man so very different to our ancestors or are we just getting better at pretending that we are that much more sophisticated.
In Moral Tribes, Greene has used a blend of various disciplines to present a fascinating work on what comes next, on how we can use our intellect and reason to be able to find the right way forward; that we are and never have been individuals; that we really are, at the heart of it, tribal!
Not a light read, it is fascinating in that some of the examples used to illustrate a point are more than completely intriguing, they are also somewhat comical as you read, reflect and can also see yourself in the illustration.
The Patient on the Trolley Track or Trolley-ology, is one such example which draws you into the heart of the matter and in between trying to sort out the final answer or conclusion, or simply where are we going with this, you discover an huge amount about perception and where that leaves you in the field of moral dilemma. When the does the right of the greater good, supersede the right of the individual? The conclusion! Well that is still under debate. But that is or can be Moral philosophy.
As you read further you realise so much about the modern world is simply a revamp on something else, but that does not solve the issue of what is considered a right and moral place to be in today’s world.
Greene ends with what he calls ‘Six rules for Modern Herders’ which, when taken to heart can and should help the thinker come to the conclusion that we are all here for the greater good and should use our gifts to help choose the right way forward, not just for ourselves but for mankind.