The Lucifer Principle

The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History

Author	Howard Bloom
Subjects	Sociology, Evolution
Publisher	Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication date	January 1995
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	466 (Paperback)
ISBN	978-0-87113-532-2

The Lucifer Principle is a 1995 book by American author Howard Bloom, in which he argues that social groups, not individuals, are the primary "unit of selection" on genes and human psychological development. He states that both competition between groups and competition between individuals shape the evolution of the genome. Bloom "explores the intricate relationships among genetics, human behavior, and culture" and argues that "evil is a by-product of nature's strategies for creation and that it is woven into our most basic biological fabric".^[1] It sees selection (e.g., through violent competition) as central to the creation of the "superorganism"^[2] of society. It also focuses on competition between individuals for position in the "pecking order" and competition between groups for standing in pecking orders of groups. The Lucifer Principle shows how ideas are vital in creating cohesion and cooperation in these pecking order battles. In the book, Bloom writes: "Superorganism, ideas and the pecking order...these are the primary forces behind much of human creativity and earthly good."