Two hundred years ago if a woman was raped and became pregnant we'd kill the rapist and spare the baby. Today, we spare rapist and kill the baby. How could American revolutionaries justify demanding liberty for themselves while refusing to give it to their own slaves? One hundred years ago only heterosexual marriage was allowed and people were sentenced to prison for homosexual behavior. Today people everywhere are celebrating gay marriage. How and why do things change so dramatically?

This book explains such changes. In it we will discover the origins of moral outlook itself, and how it shapes all human institutions from forms of government to beliefs about family, art, honor, virginity, atheism, and divinities. We will find out how moral understanding gives rise to liberals and conservatives, communists and fascists; and operates with emotional motivators like pleasure and happiness. It outlines why we create terms like personality and character, and how our thoughts are shaped to questions like: "What is the meaning of life?" By the time you are done reading this book, you will have concrete answers to all such questions and many more.