1st Edition

Human Nature After Darwin A Philosophical Introduction

By Janet Radcliffe Richards Copyright 2000
    336 Pages
    by Routledge

    336 Pages
    by Routledge

    Human Nature After Darwin is an original investigation of the implications of Darwinism for our understanding of ourselves and our situation. It casts new light on current Darwinian controversies, also providing an introduction to philosophical reasoning and a range of philosophical problems.
    Janet Radcliffe Richards claims that many current battles about Darwinism are based on mistaken assumptions about the implications of the rival views. Her analysis of these implications provides a much-needed guide to the fundamentals of Darwinism and the so-called Darwin wars, as well as providing a set of philosophical techniques relevant to wide areas of moral and political debate.
    The lucid presentation makes the book an ideal introduction to both philosophy and Darwinism as well as a substantive contribution to topics of intense current controversy. It will be of interest to students of philosophy, science and the social sciences, and critical thinking.

    Acknowledgements Introduction
    1. The theory 2. The sceptics 3. Internecine strife 4. Implications and conditionals 5. Biology as destiny 6. Blameless puppets 7. Selfish genes and moral animals 8. The end of ethics 9. Onwards and upwards 10. The real differences
    Notes Answers to exercises Revision questions Answers to revision questions Suggestions for further reading Bibliography Index

    Biography

    Janet Radcliffe Richards is Reader in Bioethics and Director of the Centre for Bioethics at University College London. she was formerly lecturer in philosophy at the Open University and is the author of the acclaimed book The Sceptical Feminist.

    A contribution to the Darwinian debate. - Contemporary Review