Darwinism and Philosophy [Paperback]

Vittorio Hosle (Editor), Christian Illies (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2005

"This is a volume that will be of considerable interest to a number of scholarly communities as well as general readers. There are very few books like it and none as accessible as this one." â€"Paul Farber, Oregon State University

The philosophically most challenging science today, arguably, is no longer physics but biology. It is hardly an exaggeration to state that Charles Darwin has shaped modern evolutionary biology more significantly than anyone else. Moreover, since Darwin's day, philosophers and scientists have realized the enormous philosophical potential of Darwinism and have tried to expand his insights well beyond the limits of biology. However, no consensus has been achieved. The aim of this collection of essays is to revive a comprehensive discussion of the meaning and the philosophical implications of "Darwinism."

The contributors to Darwinism and Philosophy are international scholars from the fields of philosophy, science, and history of ideas. A strength of this collection is that it brings together sustained reflection from American and Continental philosophical traditions. The conclusions of the contributors vary, but taken together their essays successfully map the problems of interpreting "Darwinism."

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . [G]iven the current media coverage of evolutionism, creationism, and intelligent design, this book [will] appeal to a wide audience." -- Library Journal, August 2005

". . . A significant contribution to a timely problem. Attacks on Darwinian biology are still being launched by fundamentalist religion, and while it is not difficult to dismiss the naïve arguments of creationism and intelligent design theory, it is a more serious matter to delineate the compatibilities and incompatibilities of a scientific, mechanistic, naturalistic view of life and humans for more sophisticated metaphysical stances. This volume sheds new light on these harder questions." -- ISIS, 98:3, 2007

". . . a must-have entry in the library of any scientist or philosopher who is interested in this important bridge between the two cultures." -- Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol.82, no.1, March 2007

". . . an inherently fascinating series of essays by knowledgeable scholars on the significant and continuing philosophical potential of Charles Darwin's principles of evolutionary biology. . . .a seminal body of work that is an essential contribution to the fields of Evolutionary Studies and Philosophy." -- Midwest Book Review, October 2005

"Darwinism & Philosophy is a highly diverse and very interesting collection of essays on the philosophical implications of Darwinism. . . . [It] represents a state of the art assessment of the implications of Darwinism for the philosophical enterprise." -- Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, February 7, 2006

"Darwinism and Philosophy explores the philosophical implications of the theory of evolution in a broad sense. First, it examines the metaphysical presuppositions of evolutionary theory . . . Second, it explores the relationship between naturalism and Darwinism . . . Finally, contributors consider the epistemological and moral consequences of the theory, including discussions of genetics and agency, sociobiology and ethics, and evolutionary epistemology. . . . Recommended." -- Choice, May 2006 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

VITTORIO HOSLE is Paul G. Kimball Chair of Arts and Letters in the Department of German Languages and Literatures, concurrent professor of philosophy, and concurrent professor of government and international studies at the University of Notre Dame.
CHRISTIAN ILLIES is university lecturer, Technical University Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
CONTRIBUTORS: Peter McLaughlin, David Oldroyd, Christian Illies, Michael Ruse, David Depew, Rupert Riedl, Philip R. Sloan, Robert Richards, Jean Gayon, Dieter Wandschneider, Vittorio Hosle, Michael T. Ghiselin, Gerhard Vollmer, Marcel Weber, Richard Alexander, Lenny Moss, and Bernd Graefrath. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press (May 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0268030731
• ISBN-13: 978-0268030735
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,197,281 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inherently fascinating series of essays by knowledgeable scholars, October 14, 2005

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Darwinism and Philosophy (Paperback)

Collaboratively edited by Vittorio Hosle (Paul G. Kimball Chair of Arts and Letters, Department of German Languages and Literatures, University of Notre Dame) and Christian Illies (Lecturer, Technical University of Eindhoven, Netherlands), Darwinism & Philosophy offers an inherently fascinating series of essays by knowledgeable scholars on the significant and continuing philosophical potential of Charles Darwin's principles of evolutionary biology. Included are "Materialism, Actualism, and Science: What's Modern about Modern Science?" by Peter McLauglin (University of Heidelberg, Germany); "Evolution, Paleontology, and Metaphysics" by David Oldroyd (University of New South Wales, Australia); "Darwinism's Multiple Ontologies" by David Depew (University of Iowa, USA); "Darwinism: Neither Biologistic nor Metaphysical" by Bernd Graefrath (University of Essen, German), and thirteen other contributors organized into four general sections: "What Kind of Science is Darwinian Biology, and What Are Its Ontological Presuppositions"; "Is a Non-Naturalist Interpretation of Darwinism Possible?"; "What is the Epistemological Relevance of Darwinism?"; and "Darwinism and the Place of the Human". Also available in a hardcover edition (0268030723, $70.00), Darwinism & Philosophy is a seminal body of work that is an essential contribution to the fields of Evolutionary Studies and Philosophy.