Items related to Social Evolutionism: A Critical History
Synopsis
In this book Sanderson turns a critical eye on theorists from Herbert Spencer and Talcott Parsons to contemporary thinkers such as Gerhard Lenski and Marvin Harris, examining in each case the logical and epistemological foundation of the theory, and drawing essential distinctions between theories. In this examination of the history of evolutionary thought, Stephen Sanderson reveals how the global term "evolutionism" is used to describe a complex variety of specific theories, and traces in detail the distinguishing characteristics of these theories and their critics. In the process, the author develops the argument that because critics of evolutionary theory have failed to distinguish among different versions of it, their criticisms are often misdirected at theories for which they have little or no relevance.
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From the Back Cover
In Social Evolutionism Stephen Sanderson provide a lucid account of a body of theory that has profoundly affected both intellectual and popular assumptions about human nature, society, and behavior. He describes the prominent and controversial role that evolutionary ideas have played in the development of social theory. He demonstrates the diversity of evolutionary ideas by comparing their notions of causation, their assumptions about human progress, and the adequacy of their modes of explanation and interpretation of evidence. Although he is highly critical of some aspects of evolutionary thinking and some modes of evolutionism, Professor Sanderson shows that an evolutionary interpretation of world history contributes vital insights about the character of human social life.
About the Author
Stephen K Sanderson is Professor of Sociology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
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- PublisherParadigm Pub
- ISBN 10 1594512175
- ISBN 13 9781594512179
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages352
- Rating
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