The Darwin Wars: The Scientific Battle for the Soul of ManTHE DARWIN WARS is an entertaining, explanatory account of the evolution of today's neo-Darwinist theories, including the influential Selfish Gene theory - and the misunderstandings and even deep hatreds they provoke. The two scientific camps are currently divided between 'Dawkinsians' on the one hand, who may not agree with Richard Dawkins about very much but are convinced Stephen Jay Gould is dangerously wrong, and the 'Gouldians' on the other hand who take the opposite view. The two sides agree that Darwinian evolution explains the appearance and complexity of living beings. They disagree about almost everything else . . . Their vitriolic attacks might seem like academic storms in a teacup but in fact they are disputing our very nature and place in the world. For the first time, an impartial observer explains and evaluates the ideas that have transformed biology since the 1960s, their importance and the criticisms that have been made of them. Above all, THE DARWIN WARS shows the profound impact these theories have had on our beliefs and our culture. |
Contents
The Deathbed of an Altruist | 1 |
4 | 47 |
Marxists at the Museum | 67 |
Copyright | |
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A. E. Housman adaptation adaptationist analytical genes animals answer argue argument behaviour believe biologists body brain Chagnon cheating Christianity chromosome complex context copied Cosmides course Creationists cultural Daly Daniel Dennett Darwin wars Darwin's Dangerous Idea Darwinian process Dawkins's Dawkinsians Dennett emotional evolution evolutionary biology evolutionary psychology evolved explain Extended Phenotype fact foetus genetic George Price Gould Gouldians haemoglobin Hamilton Hull human nature Ibid ideas important individual intellectual interesting language least Leda Cosmides Lewontin living London look Mary Midgley matter Maynard Smith mean mechanism memes Midgley mind molecule moral natural selection opponents organism original Oxford particular Penguin philosophers popular population possible predict problem produced question reason reciprocal altruism religion religious replicators Review of Books Richard Dawkins Richard Lewontin robot scientific scientists seems Selfish Gene sense social society sociobiology sort species survive things thought Tooby truth understand Wilson wrote Yanomamo York Review