The Secret Chain (Paperback)

Michael Bradie

ISBN 10: 0791421066 / ISBN 13: 9780791421062

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany, NY, 1994

About this Item

Paperback. Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 Ethics and Evolution The Secret Chain Epistemology from an Evolutionary Point of View Ethics from an Evolutionary Point of View Morals and Models Evolution and Ethics 2 Altruism, Benevolence, and Self-Love in Eighteenth Century British Moral Philosophy Introduction Benevolence and Self-Love from Hobbes to Mackintosh The Eighteenth Century Legacy 3 The Moral Realm of Nature: Nineteenth Century Views on Ethics and Evolution Introduction Natural Facts and Natural Values Nature, Culture, and Conflict 4 Human Nature Introduction The Concept of Human Nature Human Nature and Moral Theory Human Nature and Ideology Does Darwinism Undermine the Concept of Human Nature? 5 Three Contemporary Approaches to Evolutionary Ethics Introduction The Wisdom of the Genes: The Sociobiology of Ethics Richard Alexander and the Biological Basis of Morality Robert Richards and the Revised Theory General Conclusion 6 Darwinism and the Moral Status of Animals Introduction Singer's Expanding Circle Argument James Rachels on "Moral Individualism" Rodd on the Rights of Animals and Our Duties Toward Them Conclusion 7 Final Reflections Summary of the Argument The Biological Roots of Morality The Relevance of Darwin for Moral Philosophy Bibliography Index Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780791421062

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Secret Chain (Paperback)
• Publisher: State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
• Publication Date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0791421066
• ISBN 13: 9780791421062
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A philosophical exploration of how Darwinian evolution reshapes our understanding of morality, human nature, and ethical life.

How should we understand morality considering evolution? Does Darwinism undermine ethics―or deepen it? In this ambitious and wide-ranging study, Michael Bradie offers the first sustained philosophical examination of the relationship between evolutionary ethics and evolutionary epistemology.

Drawing on centuries of thought―from eighteenth-century British moralists to contemporary debates―Bradie brings analytic clarity to a field often marked by confusion and controversy. He carefully distinguishes the assumptions and methods of evolutionary theory and moral philosophy, illuminating where they converge, where they conflict, and where they are too easily conflated.

Engaging major thinkers such as Michael Ruse, Robert J. Richards, R. D. Alexander, E. O. Wilson, and Peter Singer, Bradie reconstructs and evaluates competing approaches to:
· Altruism, benevolence, and self-love
· The concept of human nature
· Sociobiology and the biological basis of morality
· Darwinism and the moral status of animals
· The philosophical implications of evolutionary theory for ethics

More than a historical survey, The Secret Chain advances a powerful original thesis about the biological roots of morality and the continuing relevance of Darwin for moral philosophy. Bradie’s balanced, self-critical approach avoids simplistic reductionism while refusing to ignore the profound challenges posed by evolutionary science.

About the Author

Michael Bradie is Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University.