Civilisation and Empire - In Search of Wisdom

2.01 The Roots of Western Thought

Posted by Dr Terry Cooke-Davies | Jan 28, 2024 |

Resources from the Shepway and District u3a Science, Philosophy and Spirituality Seminar on The Roots of Western Thought: 31st January 2024.

The Better Angels of Our Nature: The Decline of Violence In History And Its Causes

Posted by Dr Terry Cooke-Davies | Jul 5, 2022 | Books |

Wasn’t the twentieth century the most violent in history? In his extraordinary, epic book Steven Pinker shows us that this is wrong, telling the story of humanity in a completely new and unfamiliar way. From why cities make us safer to how books bring about peace, Pinker weaves together history, philosophy and science to examine why we are less likely to die at another’s hand than ever before, how it happened and what it tells us about our very natures. – amazon.co.uk

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

Posted by Dr Terry Cooke-Davies | Jun 30, 2022 | Books |

The authors show how accepted theories about the development of civilization first emerged in the eighteenth century as a reaction to indigenous critiques of European society. Drawing on path-breaking research in archaeology and anthropology, they suggest that these theories are wrong.