The humanities and their integral relationship to science, the author of Consilience argues, have their roots in creativity—the defining trait of our species. By studying paleontology, evolution, and neurobiology, Edward Wilson demonstrates that creative expression began not 10,000 years ago, as we have long assumed, but more than 100,000 years ago in the Paleolithic Age. In this provocative investigation into what it means to be human, Wilson reveals how the humanities have played an unexamined role in shaping mankind, and proposes a "Third Enlightenment" which will enable a deeper understanding of who we are.