Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite
Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind is a 2010 book by evolutionary psychologist Robert Kurzban. It argues that hypocrisy is not a character flaw but an inevitable product of the brain’s modular architecture.
Key facts
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Author: Robert Kurzban
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Published: 2010 (Princeton University Press)
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Genre: Nonfiction, evolutionary psychology
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Subject: Modular mind, hypocrisy, self-deception
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ISBN: 978-0-691-14674-4
Themes and purpose
Kurzban proposes that the human mind is composed of specialized modules that evolved to solve different adaptive problems. These modules often conflict with one another, producing inconsistent beliefs, self-deception, and moral hypocrisy. The feeling of being a unified self is an illusion.
Structure and content
The book walks through evidence for modularity from evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral experiments. Chapters examine self-deception, moral reasoning (people construct post-hoc justifications), irrationality, and why hypocrisy is particularly visible in others but invisible in ourselves.
Reception and impact
Praised for its lucid explanation of modular mind theory and its counterintuitive thesis. Kurzban’s approach complements other works on cognitive biases by providing an evolutionary framework for why the mind is designed to be internally inconsistent.