Chance and Necessity: An Essay on the Natural Philosophy of Modern Biology"A philosophical statement whose explicit intention is to sweep away as both false and dangerous the 'animist' conception of man that has dominated virtually all Western world views from those of primitive cultures to those of dialectical materialists. Monod bases his argument on the evidence of modern biology, which shows, indisputably, that man is the product of chance genetic mutation. He draws upon what we now know about genetic structure (and on what we can theorize) to suggest an entirely new way of looking at ourselves. He argues that objective scientific knowledge, the only knowledge we can rely on, denies the concepts of destiny or evolutionary purpose that underlie traditional philosophies; and he contends that the persistence of those concepts is responsible for the intensifying schizophrenia of a world that accepts, and lives by, the fruits of science while refusing to face its momentous moral implications"--From publisher description. |
Contents
OF STRANGE OBJECTS | 3 |
VITALISMS and ANIMISMS | 23 |
MAXWELLS DEMONS | 45 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Chance and Necessity: An Essay on the Natural Philosophy of Modern Biology Jacques Monod No preview available - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
activity allosteric enzymes allosteric interactions allosteric proteins amino acid analysis analyze animal animist association atoms behavior binding biologists biosphere catalytic cells cellular chance chapter chemical potential cognitive coherence components compounds concept constituted covalent crystal cybernetic defined dialectical dialectical materialism effectors ence energy enzyme epigenetic essential evolution example exclusively existence fact fumaric acid function galactoside genetic code globular hence human idea initial interac invariance isomers ligands living logic machine machinery macroscopic structure malic acid Maxwell's demon mechanism messenger RNA metabolic metabolite microscopic modern Molecular Biology molecules morphogenesis mutation nature noncovalent bonds nucleotides operations organism phenomena physical polypeptide polypeptide fiber precise principle properties proteins protomers quences reaction regulatory replication repressor second law selection sequence shape species spontaneous stability stereospecific stereospecific complex steric strands struc substrate symmetry synthesis teins teleonomic performances theory thermodynamic tion tive translation ture universe zyme СООН