Introduction

Abstract

Let’s first talk about what this book is about, and what it does not aim to be. The book indeed stands on the shoulder of not only giants, but of all those other scholars, thinkers, historians, and lay people that have been interested on the broader topics discussed here, which are those that have basically fascinated the most the vast majority of people since times immemorial. Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? What is its meaning? Are we progressing towards any direction? Will we thrive? Therefore, this is a “popular book” in which I compile the information provided in previous works by other authors in a relatively simple way so the broader public can understand it, think about it, discuss it, and most importantly take it into account in their daily lives. Accordingly, I avoided the excessive use of scientific and philosophical jargon, and when I do so, particularly when I cite the works of others, I usually provide brief definitions of terms that might not be so familiar to readers. A major, and somewhat peculiar, characteristic of this book, which is in a way a logical follow-up from what I did in my 2017 book Evolution Driven by Organismal Behavior, is that I often cite brief excerpts of the original texts of other authors.

We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants…we see more, and things that are more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours.

(John of Salisbury, excerpt from 1159 treatise Metalogicon)