Philosophy after Darwin: Classic and Contemporary Readings

Published by Princeton University Press 2010

Philosophy after Darwin

Classic and Contemporary Readings

Edited by: Michael Ruse

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400831296

Overview
Contents

About this book

Wittgenstein famously remarked in 1923, "Darwin's theory has no more relevance for philosophy than any other hypothesis in natural science." Yet today we are witnessing a major revival of interest in applying evolutionary approaches to philosophical problems. Philosophy after Darwin is an anthology of essential writings covering the most influential ideas about the philosophical implications of Darwinism, from the publication of On the Origin of Species to today's cutting-edge research.

Michael Ruse presents writings by leading modern thinkers and researchers--including some writings never before published--together with the most important historical documents on Darwinism and philosophy, starting with Darwin himself. Included here are Herbert Spencer, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Henry Huxley, G. E. Moore, John Dewey, Konrad Lorenz, Stephen Toulmin, Karl Popper, Edward O. Wilson, Hilary Putnam, Philip Kitcher, Elliott Sober, and Peter Singer. Readers will encounter some of the staunchest critics of the evolutionary approach, such as Alvin Plantinga, as well as revealing excerpts from works like Jack London's The Call of the Wild. Ruse's comprehensive general introduction and insightful section introductions put these writings in context and explain how they relate to such fields as epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and ethics.

An invaluable anthology and sourcebook, Philosophy after Darwin traces philosophy's complicated relationship with Darwin's dangerous idea, and shows how this relationship reflects a broad movement toward a secular, more naturalistic understanding of the human experience.

Author / Editor information

Michael Ruse is the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. His many books include Darwinism and Its Discontents and Darwin and Design.

Reviews

"Darwin's influence on philosophy is wide and deep, but not often recognized by professional philosophers, students of philosophy, or general readers. The topics dealt with in Philosophy after Darwin are likely to become even more relevant and important in the future. No other book provides so valuable an introduction, and no other scholar is better qualified to write on Darwin and philosophy than Ruse."—Richard A. Richards, University of Alabama

"In recent years, philosophers have had plenty to say about the relevance of evolutionary thinking to questions about knowledge, rationality, and ethics. This judiciously chosen and wide-ranging set of readings, prefaced by expert introductions from editor Michael Ruse, helps us to understand the current state of play in these debates, and also their historical roots. It is an excellent collection."—Tim Lewens, University of Cambridge

"A very appealing volume. Philosophy after Darwin is a very useful addition to the Darwinian literature, one that seeks to increase public awareness and appreciation of the significant role that Darwin and his collaborators and successors have had in shaping both our cultural practices and our theoretical understanding of them."—Michael Bradie, Bowling Green State University

"An extremely useful contribution. A collection with the scope and depth of this one on the interrelationship of evolution, epistemology, and ethics has not appeared in a decade. Ruse provides a historical tour of the most influential ideas and arguments that have framed the current investigations. The newly commissioned works included here will push the debate forward."—R. Paul Thompson, University of Toronto

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	v
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
INTRODUCTION Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part I. Epistemology after Darwin
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	15
The Principles of Psychology Herbert Spencer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	29
The Gay Science Friedrich Nietzsche Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	32
The Evolution of Self- Consciousness Chauncey Wright Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	34
The Fixation of Belief Charles Sanders Peirce Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	39
Great Men, Great Thoughts, and the Environment William James Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	49
The Influence of Darwinism on Philosophy John Dewey Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	55
Part II. Ethics after Darwin
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	65
The Descent of Man Charles Darwin Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	77
The Data of Ethics Herbert Spencer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	103
The Challenge of Facts William Graham Sumner Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	113
The Gospel of Wealth Andrew Carnegie Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	122
Socialism Karl Pearson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	128
Mutual Aid Prince Petr Kropotkin Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	130
Human Progress: Past and Future Alfred Russel Wallace Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	133
The Right to Make War Friedrich Von Bernhardi Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	134
The Call of the Wild Jack London Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	137
Principia Ethica: Naturalistic Ethics G. E. Moore Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	141
Evolution and Ethics Thomas Henry Huxley Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	152
Part III. The Evolution of Ideas
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	157
Darwinism as a Metaphysical Research Programme Karl Popper Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	167
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Thomas Kuhn Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	176
The Evolutionary Development of Natural Science Stephen E. Toulmin Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	177
Memes and the Exploitation of Imagination Daniel C. Dennett Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	189
Three Challenges for the Survival of Memetics Bruce Edmonds Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	198
Altruism in Science: A Sociobiological Model of Cooperative Behavior among Scientists David Hull Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	202
Why Reason Can’t Be Naturalized: Evolutionary Epistemology Hilary Putnam Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	217
Part IV. The Evolution of Rationality
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	223
Kant’s Doctrine of the A Priori in the Light of Contemporary Biology Konrad Lorenz Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	231
The View from Somewhere: A Critical Defense of Evolutionary Epistemology Michael Ruse Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	247
How the Mind Works Steven Pinker Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	275
Evolution, Thinking, and Rationality Ronald De Sousa Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	289
The Evolutionary Argument against Naturalism: An Initial Statement of the Argument Alvin Plantinga Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	301
Darwin’s Doubt, Calvin’s Calvary Evan Fales Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	309
Part V. Ethics and Progress
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	325
On Human Nature Edward O. Wilson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	333
A Darwinian Left: Politics, Evolution, and Cooperation Peter Singer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	343
Darwinian Conservatism Larry Arnhart Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	349
Moral Philosophy as Applied Science Michael Ruse and Edward O. Wilson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	365
Four Ways of “Biologicizing” Ethics Philip Kitcher Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	379
A Defense of Evolutionary Ethics Robert J. Richards Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	388
Part VI. The Evolution of Altruism
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	413
The Liver and the Moral Organ Marc D. Hauser Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	423
Unto Others Elliott Sober and David Sloan Wilson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	433
Is Human Morality Innate? Richard Joyce Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	452
Game Theory in Evolutionary Biology Zach Ernst Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	464
Ethics and Intuitions Peter Singer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	476
Evolution and Ethics: The Sociobiological Approach Michael Ruse Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	489
The Darwinian Moral Sense and Biblical Religion Larry Arnhart Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	511
Thomistic Natural Law and the Limits of Evolutionary Psychology Craig A. Boyd Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	522
An Evolutionary Account of Evil R. Paul Thompson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	533
Falling Up: Evolution and Original Sin Gregory R. Peterson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	539
SOURCES AND CREDITS Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	549
FURTHER READING Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	553
BIBLIOGRAPHY Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	561
INDEX Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	569