Richard Wrangham, a primatologist and anthropologist, an expert in the field of primate evolution, a professor at Harvard University, analyzes in detail and in an accessible way the scientific discussion on the most important issues: why people, representatives of a single biological species, are characterized by both amazing kindness and unthinkable cruelty; how these qualities, sometimes going far beyond common sense, appeared and became entrenched in the course of the evolutionary history of mankind; where do we get moral feelings, concepts of good and evil; and most importantly, are we doomed by our evolutionary paradox to the eternal threat of violence.