Monad to Man: The Concept of Progress in Evolutionary Biology - Hardcover

Ruse, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674582209 ISBN 13: 9780674582200

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 1997

Synopsis

The idea of evolution: it fascinates some of us, disturbs others, and leaves only a very few people indifferent. In a major new interpretation of evolutionary theory, Michael Ruse pinpoints the common source of this attraction and discomfort. A renowned writer on evolutionary theory and its history, Ruse has long been sensitive to the fact that many people--and not simply religious enthusiasts--find something deeply troubling about much of what passes for science in evolutionary circles. What causes this tension, he finds in his search of evolutionism's 250-year history, is the intimate relationship between evolution and the secular ideology of progress.

Ubiquitous in Darwin's time, the idea of an unceasing improvement in life insinuated its way into evolutionary theory from the first. In interviews with today's major figures in evolutionary biology--including Stephen Jay Gould, Edward O. Wilson, Ernst Mayr, and John Maynard Smith--and in an intimate look at the discoveries and advances in the history and philosophy of science, Ruse finds this belief just as prevalent today--however it might be denied or obscured. His book traces the delicate line between those who argue that science is and must be objective and those who deem science a "social construction" in the fashion of religion or the rest of culture. It offers an unparalleled account of evolutionary theory, from popular books to museums to the most complex theorizing, at a time when its status as science is under greater scrutiny than ever before.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Ruse is Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Program in the History and Philosophy of Science, Florida State University. He is the founder and editor of the journal Biology and Philosophy, and has appeared on “Quirks and Quarks” and the Discovery Channel.

Reviews

Evolution has stirred heated social debate from before the time of Darwin to the present, perhaps especially today. Ruse, a philosopher of bioethics and evolutionary biology at the University of Guelph, Ontario, discusses the influence of biological and social progressionist thought on the primary figures in the development of evolutionary theory. He also explores the role of progress in the development of the discipline from popular to professional science. Ruse confines himself to the biological realm of evolution and avoids the evolution vs. creation debate. From historical research to interviews with today's leading evolutionary biologists, Ruse's book mirrors the lively debates throughout the history of the field. Though not necessarily designed for general audiences, this thought-provoking and readable book is highly recommended for larger general as well as advanced undergraduate collections.?Bruce D. Neville, Univ. of New Mexico Lib., Albuquerque
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674582209
• ISBN 13: 9780674582200
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 648