The Philosophy of Human Evolution

Description

This book provides a unique discussion of human evolution from a philosophical viewpoint, looking at the facts and interpretations since Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man. Michael Ruse explores such topics as the nature of scientific theories, the relationships between culture and biology, the problem of progress and the extent to which evolutionary issues pose problems for religious beliefs. He identifies these issues, highlighting the problems for morality in a world governed by natural selection. By taking a philosophical viewpoint, the full ethical and moral dimensions of human evolution are examined. This book engages the reader in a thorough discussion of the issues, appealing to students in philosophy, biology and anthropology.

Michael Ruse is the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy and the Director of the Program in the History and Philosophy of Science at Florida State University. His previous publications include Can a Darwinian be a Christian?: The Relationship between Science and Religion (Cambridge University Press, 2004), Darwinism and its Discontents (Cambridge University Press, 2008) and Science and Spirituality: Making Room for Faith in an Age of Science (Cambridge University Press, 2010).

'Michael Ruse's new book The Philosophy of Human Evolution is a historical and critical survey of the ways in which Darwinian thinking has clashed and interacted with the concerns of philosophers. Intended for a general audience, the book showcases Ruse's manifold skills as a writer. His prose is lucid, straightforward, and colloquial. Each paragraph leads into the next with elegant coherence and no complicated impediments to the smooth flow of ideas ... readers will bring away new facts and insights from this thoughtful little page-turner.' Matt Cartmill, Reports of the National Center for Science Education 'Ruse brings to the fore a diversity of important questions regarding human evolution ... written in a direct, effective style, with a promising chapter architecture ... a welcome supplement to recent books on human evolution.' Rasmus Gronfeldt Winther, Evolution