Humanism Explorations - held at 87 4th St., Ashland, OR

Were We Happier in the Stone Age?

We will discuss this article from the September 5, 2014 issue of The Guardian. Discussion will be led by Jim Thompson.

"Does modern life make us happy? We have gained much but we have lost a great deal too. Are humans better suited to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle?

We are far more powerful than our ancestors, but are we much happier? Historians seldom stop to ponder this question, yet ultimately, isn't it what history is all about? Our understanding and our judgment of...the worldwide spread of monotheistic religion surely depends on whether we conclude that it raised or lowered global happiness levels. And if the spread of monotheism had no noticeable impact on global happiness, what difference did it make?"