Description: FREE SHIPPING UK WIDE Debating Darwin by Robert J. Richards, Michael Ruse Charles Darwin is easily the most famous scientist of the modern age, and his theory of evolution is constantly referenced in many contexts by scientists and nonscientists alike. And yet, despite how frequently his ideas are evoked, there remains a surprising amount we dont know about the father of modern evolutionary thinking, his intellectual roots, and the science he produced. Debating Darwin seeks to change that, bringing together two leading Darwin scholars—Robert J. Richards and Michael Ruse—to engage in a spirited and insightful dialogue, offering their interpretations of Darwin and their critiques of each others thinking. Examining key disagreements about Darwin that continue to confound even committed Darwinists, Richards and Ruse offer divergent views on the origins and nature of Darwin and his ideas. Ruse argues that Darwin was quintessentially British and that the roots of his thought can be traced back to the eighteenth century, particularly to the Industrial Revolution and thinkers such as Adam Smith and Thomas Robert Malthus. Ruse argues that when these influences are appreciated, we can see how Darwins work in biology is an extension of their theories. In contrast, Richards presents Darwin as a more cosmopolitan, self-educated man, influenced as much by French and particularly German thinkers. Above all, argues Richards, it was Alexander von Humboldt who both inspired Darwin and gave him the conceptual tools that he needed to find and formulate his evolutionary hypotheses. Together, the authors show how the reverberations of the contrasting views on Darwins influences can be felt in theories about the nature of natural selection, the role of metaphor in science, and the place of God in Darwins thought. Revealing how much there still is to investigate and interrogate about Darwins ideas, Debating Darwin contributes to our understanding of evolution itself. The book concludes with a jointly authored chapter that brings this debate into the present, focusing on human evolution, consciousness, religion, and morality. This will be powerful, essential reading for anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of modern-day evolutionary science and philosophy. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Author Biography Robert J. Richards is the Morris Fishbein Distinguished Service Professor in History of Science at the University of Chicago, where he is professor in the department of History, Philosophy, and Psychology and in the Committee on Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science and directs the Fishbein Center for the History of Science and Medicine. His books include, most recently, Was Hitler a Darwinian? Disputed Questions in the History of Evolutionary Theory, also published by the University of Chicago Press. Michael Ruse is director of the Program in the History and Philosophy of Science at Florida State University. His books include The Gaia Hypothesis: Science on a Pagan Planet, also published by the University of Chicago Press. Table of Contents Preface Timeline Charles Darwin: Great Briton (Michael Ruse) Prologue Britain before Darwin A Child of His Class Evolution and Natural Selection On the Origin of Species Humans Envoi Charles Darwin: Cosmopolitan Thinker (Robert J. Richards) Introduction Sketch of Darwins Life and Works Literature of Significance for Darwin: Romanticism and Natural Theology The Romantic Foundations of Darwins Theory Darwins Scientific Theology Darwins Construction of His Theory Man, the Moral Animal Conclusion Response to Ruse The Language of Metaphor Teleology Evolutionary Development as Progressive Individual versus Group Selection The Evolution of Morality Conclusion Reply to Richards Levels of Selection Embryology The Romantic Influence Alexander von Humboldt Paradise Lost Epilogue History of Evolutionary Biology since the Origin of Species Human Consciousness Religion and God Notes Bibliography Index Review "The authors debate is learned, witty, engaging, and even passionate. Students and Darwin scholars alike will be able to read this volume with interest and enjoyment and be inspired to go back to Darwins own writings, especially to Darwins early notebooks, the Origin of Species, and the Descent of Man in the continued eort to comprehend Darwin in his historical context." -- "Journal of the History of Biology""Debating Darwin offers readers a ringside seat at a friendly but no-holds-barred fight about Charles Darwins place in history. Was the British Enlightenment the making of Darwin, as Ruse contends? Or was Darwin a child of the Romantic science of Goethe and his followers, as Richards suggests? Watching these two outstanding scholar-teachers argue it out is an education in history, science, and the pleasures of serious disagreement." --Gregory Radick, author of The Simian Tongue: The Long Debate about Animal Language"Charles Darwins ideas were controversial from the outset, so much so that Darwins friend and supporter Thomas Henry Huxley said he sharpened up his claws and beak in order to defend them. Here in this volume the debate continues as two world-renowned historians explore what Darwins proposals meant in his own day and to us now. The issue at stake is how best to understand Darwin as a thinker--was he influenced primarily by his personal social context, the industrializing entrepreneurial world of Britain in the Victorian era, or was he more in touch with the great intellectual currents flourishing in continental Europe? How did these questions influence his religious sensibilities and those of his readers? Back and forth, the ripostes sparkle with intellectual energy. Through Ruses and Richards eyes, we can see Darwin afresh, as the enthralling historical figure who not only transformed biology but also our deepest sense of who we are." --Janet Browne, author of Charles Darwin: The Power of Place"I learned a great deal reading the complicated and intellectually demanding Debating Darwin, over and over, more times than I can count during the eight months the book has been in my hands. I recommend it to every serious evolutionary biologist and to those armchair evolutionists who remain fascinated with Darwins century, and to teachers of history and philosophy."-- "Quarterly Review of Biology""In most volumes with more than a single author, the contributors complement each other, addressing a common subject matter from a shared point of view. Robert J. Richards and Michael Ruses Debating Darwin is unusual in the sense that its two authors disagree, profoundly so, about their joint topic of interest--Charles Darwin. . . . This format succeeds admirably well. Both Richards and Ruse are top-bracket historians and philosophers of science, and both have long been at the cutting edge of Darwin scholarship. While reading one authors persuasive account, one cant wait to read what the other could possibly have up his scholarly sleeve to outclass his opponent; and reading on, one equally eagerly anticipates the respective responses. . . . I strongly recommend this book to anyone who teaches evolutionary biology, as either a history course or a science course. We have been given an accessible, quality read in the form of an exciting and skilled joust between two knights in the service of todays king of evolution theory."-- "American Historical Review""This work is devoted to an exchange between two friendly adversaries, Richards and Ruse. Both authors have previously debated Darwinian evolution, but this book allows Richards and Ruse to expand their ideas and rebut each others contrasting views. Ruse explains that Darwin had a "mechanistic" view of the world and was the product of 18th-century Britain, including the Scottish Enlightenment. Richards indicates Darwin was more cosmopolitan, was influenced by other thinkers (particularly Alexander von Humboldt), and was deeply impacted by German romanticism. Thus, Darwins evolutionary model was teleological--Darwin accepted final cause. Ruse strongly differs with Richards analysis--most biologists and historians would reject it as well. The book includes an epilogue summarizing the important developments in evolutionary biology that took place after Darwin. This book will have special appeal to historians and philosophers of biology. Recommended." -- "Choice" Review Quote "This work is devoted to an exchange between two friendly adversaries, Richards and Ruse. Both authors have previously debated Darwinian evolution, but this book allows Richards and Ruse to expand their ideas and rebut each others contrasting views. Ruse explains that Darwin had a "mechanistic" view of the world and was the product of 18th-century Britain, including the Scottish Enlightenment. Richards indicates Darwin was more cosmopolitan, was influenced by other thinkers (particularly Alexander von Humboldt), and was deeply impacted by German romanticism. Thus, Darwins evolutionary model was teleological--Darwin accepted final cause . Ruse strongly differs with Richards analysis--most biologists and historians would reject it as well. The book includes an epilogue summarizing the important developments in evolutionary biology that took place after Darwin. This book will have special appeal to historians and philosophers of biology. Recommended." Details ISBN022638442X Author Michael Ruse Short Title DEBATING DARWIN Pages 320 Language English ISBN-10 022638442X ISBN-13 9780226384429 Media Book Format Hardcover Birth 1942 Year 2016 Imprint University of Chicago Press Place of Publication Chicago, IL Country of Publication United States Illustrations illustrations Publication Date 2016-09-10 UK Release Date 2016-09-10 AU Release Date 2016-09-10 NZ Release Date 2016-09-10 US Release Date 2016-09-10 Publisher The University of Chicago Press DEWEY 576.82092 Audience Professional & Vocational We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! 30 DAY RETURN POLICY No questions asked, 30 day returns! FREE DELIVERY No matter where you are in the UK, delivery is free. SECURE PAYMENT Peace of mind by paying through PayPal and eBay Buyer Protection TheNile_Item_ID:161786539;
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ISBN-13: 9780226384429
Book Title: Debating Darwin
Number of Pages: 320 Pages
Publication Name: Debating Darwin
Language: English
Publisher: T.H.E. University of Chicago Press
Item Height: 236 mm
Subject: Biology
Publication Year: 2016
Type: Textbook
Item Weight: 696 g
Author: Robert J. Richards, Michael Ruse
Item Width: 165 mm
Format: Hardcover
