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Book Darwin s DNA  A Brief Introduction to Evolutionary Philosophy

Download or read book Darwin s DNA A Brief Introduction to Evolutionary Philosophy written by and published by MSAC Philosophy Group. This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Darwin s DNA  A Brief Introduction to Evolutiionary Philossophy

Download or read book Darwin s DNA A Brief Introduction to Evolutiionary Philossophy written by and published by MSAC Philosophy Group. This book was released on with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Darwin s DNA  An Illustrated Introduction to Evolutionary Philosophy

Download or read book Darwin s DNA An Illustrated Introduction to Evolutionary Philosophy written by Andrea Diem-Lane and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2016-01-11 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an illustrated version (replete with black and white pictures and graphs) of Dr. Andrea Diem-Lane's book, Darwin's DNA, which has been republished in a smaller paperback version entitled The DNA of Consciousness. Explores evolutionary theory and how Darwinian natural selection can help explain why consciousness developed as a virtual simulator over time. Fully illustrated.

Book On The Origin of Evolution

Download or read book On The Origin of Evolution written by John Gribbin and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-06-15 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. The idea of evolution had been around, in various guises, since the time of Ancient Greece. And nor did theorizing about evolution stop with what Daniel Dennett called "Darwin’s dangerous idea." In this riveting new book, bestselling science writers John and Mary Gribbin explore the history of the idea of evolution, showing how Darwin's theory built on what went before and how it was developed in the twentieth century, through an understanding of genetics and the biochemical basis of evolution, into the so-called "modern synthesis" and beyond. Darwin deserves his recognition as the primary proponent of the idea of natural selection, but as the authors show, his contribution was one link in a chain that extends back into antiquity and is still being forged today.

Book Darwin s Legacy

    Book Details:
  • Author : John Dupré
  • Publisher : Oxford University Press
  • Release : 2003-11-27
  • ISBN : 0191638285
  • Pages : pages

Download or read book Darwin s Legacy written by John Dupré and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2003-11-27 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Darwin transformed our understanding of the universe and our place in it with his development of the theory of evolution. 150 years later, we are still puzzling over the implications. John Dupré presents a lucid, witty introduction to evolution and what it means for our view of humanity, the natural world, and religion. He explains the right and the wrong ways to understand evolution: in the latter category fall most of the claims of evolutionary psychology, of which Dupré gives a withering critique. He shows why the theory of evolution is one of the most important scientific ideas of all time, but makes clear that it can't explain everything - contrary to widespread popular belief, it has very little to tell us about the details of human nature and human behaviour, such as language, culture, and sexuality. Darwin's Legacy clears a path through the confusion and controversy surrounding evolution; anyone who is interested in understanding what the theory of evolution can and can't do will find this a compelling and enjoyable introduction.

Book Darwin s DNA

    Book Details:
  • Author :
  • Publisher : MSAC Philosophy Group
  • Release :
  • ISBN :
  • Pages : pages

Download or read book Darwin s DNA written by and published by MSAC Philosophy Group. This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The DNA of Consciousness

    Book Details:
  • Author : Andrea Diem-Lane
  • Publisher : Mount San Antonio College/Philosophy Group
  • Release : 2014-06-20
  • ISBN : 9781565438828
  • Pages : 68 pages

Download or read book The DNA of Consciousness written by Andrea Diem-Lane and published by Mount San Antonio College/Philosophy Group. This book was released on 2014-06-20 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new field of evolutionary philosophy, unlike its aborted predecessors of the past, is primarily concerned with understanding why Homo sapiens are philosophical in the first place. It is not focused on advocating some specific future reform, but rather in uncovering why humans are predisposed to ask so many questions which, at least at the present stage, cannot be answered. In other words, if evolution is about living long enough to transmit one's genetic code, how does philosophy help in our global struggle for existence? To answer that question and others branched with it, one has to deal with the most complex physical structure in the universe-the human brain. Because it is from this wonder tissue, what Patricia Churchland has aptly called "three pounds of glorious meat," that all of human thought, including our deep and ponderous musings, is built upon. Take away the human brain and you take away all of philosophy. Therefore, if we are to understand why philosophy arose in the first place, we have to begin with delving into the mystery on why consciousness itself arose. And to answer that question we first have to come to grips with Darwin's major contribution to evolutionary theory-natural selection. Why would nature select for awareness, especially the kind of self-conscious awareness endemic to human beings, when survival for almost all species is predicated upon unconscious instincts? What kind of advantage does self-reflective consciousness confer that would allow it to emerge and develop over time?

Book Darwin s Legacy

    Book Details:
  • Author : John Dupré
  • Publisher : OUP Oxford
  • Release : 2003-11-27
  • ISBN : 019150100X
  • Pages : 148 pages

Download or read book Darwin s Legacy written by John Dupré and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2003-11-27 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Darwin transformed our understanding of the universe and our place in it with his development of the theory of evolution. 150 years later, we are still puzzling over the implications. John Dupré presents a lucid, witty introduction to evolution and what it means for our view of humanity, the natural world, and religion. He explains the right and the wrong ways to understand evolution: in the latter category fall most of the claims of evolutionary psychology, of which Dupré gives a withering critique. He shows why the theory of evolution is one of the most important scientific ideas of all time, but makes clear that it can't explain everything - contrary to widespread popular belief, it has very little to tell us about the details of human nature and human behaviour, such as language, culture, and sexuality. Darwin's Legacy clears a path through the confusion and controversy surrounding evolution; anyone who is interested in understanding what the theory of evolution can and can't do will find this a compelling and enjoyable introduction.

Book Defining Darwin

    Book Details:
  • Author : Michael Ruse
  • Publisher : Prometheus Books
  • Release : 2009-12-04
  • ISBN : 1615924167
  • Pages : 271 pages

Download or read book Defining Darwin written by Michael Ruse and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2009-12-04 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Ruse is one of the foremost Charles Darwin scholars of our time. For forty years he has written extensively on Darwin, the scientific revolution that his work precipitated, and the nature and implications of evolutionary thinking for today. Now, in the year marking the two hundredth anniversary of Darwin''s birth and the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of his masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, Ruse reevaluates the legacy of Darwin in this collection of new and recent essays. Beginning with pre-Darwinian concepts of organic origins proposed by the great German philosopher Immanuel Kant, Ruse shows the challenges that Darwin''s radically different idea faced. He then discusses natural selection as a powerful metaphor; Alfred Russel Wallace, the co-discoverer of the theory of evolution; Herbert Spencer''s contribution to evolutionary biology; the synthesis of Mendelian genetics and natural selection; the different views of Julian Huxley and George Gaylord Simpson on evolutionary ethics; and the influence of Darwin''s ideas on literature. In the final section, Ruse brings the discussion up to date with a consideration of "evolutionary development" (dubbed "evo devo") as a new evolutionary paradigm and the effects of Darwin on religion, especially the debate surrounding Intelligent Design theory. Ruse offers a fresh perspective on topics old and new, challenging the reader to think again about the nature and consequences of what has been described as the biggest idea ever conceived.

Book Plato to Darwin to DNA

    Book Details:
  • Author : Esther Muehlbauer
  • Publisher :
  • Release : 2016-08-22
  • ISBN : 9781524908201
  • Pages : pages

Download or read book Plato to Darwin to DNA written by Esther Muehlbauer and published by . This book was released on 2016-08-22 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: eBook Version You will receive access to this electronic text via email after using the shopping cart above to complete your purchase

Book From Darwinian Metaphysics Towards Understanding the Evolution of Evolutionary Mechanisms

Download or read book From Darwinian Metaphysics Towards Understanding the Evolution of Evolutionary Mechanisms written by Momme von Sydow and published by Universitätsverlag Göttingen. This book was released on 2012 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Although Charles Darwin predicted that his theory 'would give zest to ... metaphysics, ' even he would be astonished at the variety of paths his theory has in fact taken. This holds with regard to both gene-Darwinism, a purified Darwinian approach biologizing the social sciences, and process- Darwinism found in the disciplines of psychology, philosophy of science, and economics. Although Darwinism is often linked to highly confirmed biological theories, some of its interpretations seem to profit from tautological claims as well, where scientific reputation cloaks ideological usage. This book discusses central tenets of Darwinism historically as well as systematically, for example the history of different Darwinian paradigms, the units-of-selection debate, and the philosophical problem of induction as basis of metaphysical Darwinism. Crucially the book addresses the Darwinian claim that evolution is governed by an immutable and unrelentingly cruel law of natural selection. Paradoxically, Darwins theory is a static, non-evolutionary theory of evolution. The current book sketches the historical background and provides suggestions that may help to replace this approach by the idea of an evolution of evolutionary mechanisms (see Escher's 'Drawing Hands' on the cover). This view even suggests a tendency to overcome the blindness of the knowledge acquisition of primordial Darwinian processes and allows for some freedom from external environments. This book first develops a radically Darwinian approach, then criticises this approach from within. Even Darwinism has a tendency to transcend itself. Although the book addresses several empirical issues, it does not challenge particular findings. Instead it builds on many insights of Darwinism and provides a proposal for interpreting known empirical evidence in a different light. It should help pave the way for further developing an understanding of nature that transcends Darwinian metaphysics"--Publisher's description.

Book Life as Its Own Designer

    Book Details:
  • Author : Anton Markoš
  • Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
  • Release : 2009-07-09
  • ISBN : 1402099703
  • Pages : 216 pages

Download or read book Life as Its Own Designer written by Anton Markoš and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-07-09 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It has been nearly 150 years since Darwin published On the Origin of Species, and his theory of natural selection still ignites a forest of heated debate between scientific fundamentalists on the one hand and religious fundamentalists on the other. But both sides actually agree more than they disagree, and what has long been needed is a third way to view evolution, one that focuses more on the aspect of life and “being alive”, one that can guide us through, and perhaps out of, the fiery thicket. This book, a seminal work in the burgeoning field of Biosemiotics, provides that third way, by viewing living beings as genuine agents designing their communication pathways with, and in, the world. Already hailed as the best account of biological hermeneutics, Life As Its Own Designer: Darwin’s Origin and Western Thought is a wholly unique book divided into two parts. The first part is philosophical and explores the roots of rationality and the hermeneutics of the natural world with the overriding goal of discovering how narrative can help us to explain life. It analyzes why novelty is so hard to comprehend in the framework of Western thinking and confronts head-on the chasm between evolutionism and traditional rationalistic worldviews. The second part is scientific. It focuses on the life of living beings, treating them as co-creators of their world in the process of evolution. It draws on insights gleaned from the global activity of the Gaian biosphere, considers likeness as demonstrated on homology studies, and probes the problem of evo-devo science from the angle of life itself. This book is both timely and vital. Past attempts at a third way to view evolution have failed because they were written either by scientists who lacked a philosophical grounding or New Age thinkers who lacked biological credibility. Markoš and his coworkers form an original group of thinkers supremely capable in both fields, and they have fashioned a book that is ideal for researchers and scholars from both the humanities and sciences who are interested in the history and philosophy of biology, biosemiotics, and the evolution of life.

Book Darwin Devolves

    Book Details:
  • Author : Michael J. Behe
  • Publisher : HarperCollins
  • Release : 2019-02-26
  • ISBN : 0062842684
  • Pages : 395 pages

Download or read book Darwin Devolves written by Michael J. Behe and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-02-26 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The scientist who has been dubbed the “Father of Intelligent Design” and author of the groundbreaking book Darwin’s Black Box contends that recent scientific discoveries further disprove Darwinism and strengthen the case for an intelligent creator. In his controversial bestseller Darwin’s Black Box, biochemist Michael Behe challenged Darwin’s theory of evolution, arguing that science itself has proven that intelligent design is a better explanation for the origin of life. In Darwin Devolves, Behe advances his argument, presenting new research that offers a startling reconsideration of how Darwin’s mechanism works, weakening the theory’s validity even more. A system of natural selection acting on random mutation, evolution can help make something look and act differently. But evolution never creates something organically. Behe contends that Darwinism actually works by a process of devolution—damaging cells in DNA in order to create something new at the lowest biological levels. This is important, he makes clear, because it shows the Darwinian process cannot explain the creation of life itself. “A process that so easily tears down sophisticated machinery is not one which will build complex, functional systems,” he writes. In addition to disputing the methodology of Darwinism and how it conflicts with the concept of creation, Behe reveals that what makes Intelligent Design unique—and right—is that it acknowledges causation. Evolution proposes that organisms living today are descended with modification from organisms that lived in the distant past. But Intelligent Design goes a step further asking, what caused such astounding changes to take place? What is the reason or mechanism for evolution? For Behe, this is what makes Intelligent Design so important.

Book Darwin  A Very Short Introduction

Download or read book Darwin A Very Short Introduction written by Jonathan Howard and published by Oxford Paperbacks. This book was released on 2001-02-22 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Darwin's theory that our ancestors were apes caused a furore in the scientific world and outside it when The Origin of Species was published in 1859. Arguments still rage about the implications of his evolutionary theory, and scepticism about the value of Darwin's contribution to knowledge is widespread. In this analysis of Darwin's major insights and arguments, Jonathan Howard reasserts the importance of Darwin's work for the development of modern biology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Book What Darwin Didn t Know

    Book Details:
  • Author : Geoffrey Simmons
  • Publisher : Harvest House Publishers
  • Release :
  • ISBN : 0736936726
  • Pages : 322 pages

Download or read book What Darwin Didn t Know written by Geoffrey Simmons and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Living with Darwin

    Book Details:
  • Author : Philip Kitcher
  • Publisher : Oxford University Press
  • Release : 2009-04-28
  • ISBN : 0199724997
  • Pages : 209 pages

Download or read book Living with Darwin written by Philip Kitcher and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-04-28 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Darwin has been at the center of white-hot public debate for more than a century. In Living With Darwin, Philip Kitcher stokes the flames swirling around Darwin's theory, sifting through the scientific evidence for evolution, Creation Science, and Intelligent Design, and revealing why evolution has been the object of such vehement attack. Kitcher first provides valuable perspective on the present controversy, describing the many puzzles that blocked evolution's acceptance in the early years, and explaining how scientific research eventually found the answers to these conundrums. Interestingly, Kitcher shows that many of these early questions have been resurrected in recent years by proponents of Intelligent Design. In fact, Darwin himself considered the issue of intelligent design, and amassed a mountain of evidence that effectively refuted the idea. Kitcher argues that the problem with Intelligent Design isn't that it's "not science," as many critics say, but that it's "dead science," raising questions long resolved by scientists. But Kitcher points out that it is also important to recognize the cost of Darwin's success--the price of "life with Darwin." Darwinism has a profound effect on our understanding of our place in the universe, on our religious beliefs and aspirations. It is in truth the focal point of a larger clash between religious faith and modern science. Unless we can resolve this larger issue, the war over evolution will go on.

Book Darwin and Design

    Book Details:
  • Author : Michael Ruse
  • Publisher : Harvard University Press
  • Release : 2004-09-30
  • ISBN : 0674266900
  • Pages : 384 pages

Download or read book Darwin and Design written by Michael Ruse and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2004-09-30 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The intricate forms of living things bespeak design, and thus a creator: nearly 150 years after Darwin's theory of natural selection called this argument into question, we still speak of life in terms of design--the function of the eye, the purpose of the webbed foot, the design of the fins. Why is the "argument from design" so tenacious, and does Darwinism--itself still evolving after all these years--necessarily undo it? The definitive work on these contentious questions, Darwin and Design surveys the argument from design from its introduction by the Greeks, through the coming of Darwinism, down to the present day. In clear, non-technical language Michael Ruse, a well-known authority on the history and philosophy of Darwinism, offers a full and fair assessment of the status of the argument from design in light of both the advances of modern evolutionary biology and the thinking of today's philosophers--with special attention given to the supporters and critics of "intelligent design." The first comprehensive history and exposition of Western thought about design in the natural world, this important work suggests directions for our thinking as we move into the twenty-first century. A thoroughgoing guide to a perennially controversial issue, the book makes its own substantial contribution to the ongoing debate about the relationship between science and religion, and between evolution and its religious critics.