Darwinism and Its DiscontentsThis book presents an ardent defense of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution against its many critics by one of the leading experts on this subject. Offering a clear and comprehensive exposition of the thinking of Darwin, Michael Ruse brings the story up to day, examining important issues such as the origins of life, the fossil record, the mechanism of natural selection, and rival theories such as punctuated equilibrium, the story of human evolution (including the recently found "hobbits," Homo floresiensis), fraud in biological science, literary approaches to evolution, and the philosophical and religious implications of Darwinism, notably a discussion of Creationism and its modern day offshoot, Intelligent Design Theory. Ruse draws upon the most recent discoveries, but writes with a minimum of jargon. His book will appeal to many readers, from professional biologists to concerned citizens who worry that Darwinism is a naturalistic religion that is forced on school children in face of their own deeply held Christian convictions. Openly revealing his own beliefs, Ruse 's aim throughout is to present information and critical tools so that the reader can make informed decisions for him or herself. |
Contents
Section 1 | 19 |
Section 2 | 34 |
Section 3 | 44 |
Section 4 | 52 |
Section 5 | 87 |
Section 6 | 91 |
Section 7 | 134 |
Section 8 | 136 |
Section 12 | 163 |
Section 13 | 166 |
Section 14 | 169 |
Section 15 | 187 |
Section 16 | 214 |
Section 17 | 222 |
Section 18 | 226 |
Section 19 | 230 |
Section 9 | 141 |
Section 10 | 161 |
Section 11 | 162 |
Section 20 | 236 |
Section 21 | 275 |
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Common terms and phrases
adaptation alleles animals answer Archaeopteryx argued argument believe biologists biology birds bluegill brain Cambrian cause cell century certainly chapter Charles Darwin Christian cladists complex consilience culture Darwin Darwinian Dawkins eukaryotes evidence evolutionary evolutionists evolved existence expect explain fact of evolution factors females Figure forms fossil record function genes genetic going Gould hadrosaurs Hence Homo floresiensis homozygote humans Huxley hypothesis idea instance intelligence kind Lamarck lambeosaurines Lewontin living Logan look mammals mechanism methodological naturalism million years ago molecular molecules moral moths move natural selection organisms Origin peppered moth perhaps philosopher phyllotaxis physical picture Piltdown Plantinga plants Popper population possible problem progress question reason Richard Dawkins Richard Lewontin Ruse scientific scientists sense significant simply social speciation species started Suppose T. H. Huxley theory things thought tion true Wilson
References to this book
The Groaning of Creation: God, Evolution, and the Problem of Evil Christopher Southgate Limited preview - 2008 |