Invisible Rivals
How We Evolved to Compete in a Cooperative World
Published on 17. June 2025
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-0-300-27435-6 (ISBN)
Description
A multidisciplinary view of how our competitive and cooperative natures make us human
For centuries, people have argued about whether humans are moral animals-good or bad, cooperative or competitive, altruistic or selfish. The debates continue today, dressed up in the language of modern science. In this book, Jonathan R. Goodman makes the case for synthesizing the two sides. Drawing on insights from anthropology, evolutionary biology, and philosophy, he argues that rather than being fundamentally cooperative or competitive, we are capable of being both-and of exploiting each other when there is an opportunity to do so.
The core of invisible rivalry is how we make ourselves and others believe that we are acting cooperatively even as we manipulate those around us for our own benefit. In confronting this collective tendency toward self-interest, Goodman says, we can make the fundamental first step in fixing the breakdown of trust in society. Consequently, we will be better able to combat the myriad issues we face today, including widespread inequality, misinformation in a new technological environment, and climate change.
For centuries, people have argued about whether humans are moral animals-good or bad, cooperative or competitive, altruistic or selfish. The debates continue today, dressed up in the language of modern science. In this book, Jonathan R. Goodman makes the case for synthesizing the two sides. Drawing on insights from anthropology, evolutionary biology, and philosophy, he argues that rather than being fundamentally cooperative or competitive, we are capable of being both-and of exploiting each other when there is an opportunity to do so.
The core of invisible rivalry is how we make ourselves and others believe that we are acting cooperatively even as we manipulate those around us for our own benefit. In confronting this collective tendency toward self-interest, Goodman says, we can make the fundamental first step in fixing the breakdown of trust in society. Consequently, we will be better able to combat the myriad issues we face today, including widespread inequality, misinformation in a new technological environment, and climate change.
Reviews / Votes
"Few non-fiction books have made me examine my preconceptions so deeply as this remarkable study of human interaction."-Matthew D'Ancona, The New World"A timely, erudite, and provocative book that is fun and an inspiring call to arms. Jonathan Goodman uses history, evolutionary biology, and anthropology to explain why humans are hard-wired to cooperate-but also designed to embrace conflict and competition, with potentially dark outcomes."-Gillian Tett, provost, King's College, Cambridge, and author of Fool's Gold and Anthro-Vision
"In his fascinating debut Invisible Rivals, Goodman debunks simplistic theories of human selfishness, providing a highly nuanced and contextual account of human competition and cooperation with important implications for how to solve some of the world's biggest challenges, from global climate change to the spread of disinformation."-Sander van der Linden, author of Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity
"This fascinating, unique book links theories about our individual willingness or reluctance to cooperate, which is tied to how we manage global challenges of our time. Working across philosophy, evolutionary biology, public policy, and politics, Invisible Rivals is unlike any other book I've read."-Devi Sridhar, author of How Not to Die (Too Soon): The Lies We've Been Sold and the Policies That Could Save Us
"A timely and devastating expose by a brilliant evolutionary psychologist. Jonathan Goodman argues that evil will triumph so long as good people fail to see that selfishness and double-dealing are basic human traits to be found in everyone, including themselves."-Nicholas Humphrey, author of Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness
"Competitive or cooperative? We are both, inextricably so; but what follows? Invisible Rivals takes us on a fascinating journey spanning anthropology, philosophy, evolutionary biology, and more. Goodman's argument is highly approachable, yet also original, eloquent and persuasive. Both lack of trust and trust without discernment endanger the public sphere. The message could hardly be more timely and urgent."-Robert Attenborough, University of Cambridge and Australian National University
"Humans are inherently neither nice nor nasty, but we use cooperative and competitive tools like choosing irons in golf. It is as unsettling a point as it is important, and Jonathan Goodman makes it all but incontrovertible."-David C. Lahti, City University of New York
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
8 b-w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 144 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
398 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-27435-6 (9780300274356)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jonathan R. Goodman is a social scientist based at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Cambridge Public Health, University of Cambridge. He writes about trust, inequality, and evolutionary theory for publications including the Financial Times, New Scientist, Nature, The Guardian, and Scientific American. He lives in London, UK. Robert A. Foley is emeritus professor of human evolution at the University of Cambridge, a senior fellow of King's College, Cambridge, a fellow of the Alan Turing Institute, and a fellow of the British Academy. He is based in Cambridge, UK.