Episode 49: Nicholas Christakis on Humanity, Biology, and What Makes Us Good




Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas show

Summary: Today’s guest, Nicholas Christakis, is an interdisciplinary researcher who studies human nature from a variety of perspectives, including biological, historical, and philosophical. His most recent book is Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society, in which he tries to pinpoint the common features of all human societies, something he dubs the “social suite.” He argues that we are ultimately wired to get along, despite the missteps we make along the way.