1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910457940503321

Autore

Shanahan Timothy <1960->

Titolo

The evolution of Darwinism : selection, adaptation, and progress in evolutionary biology / / Timothy Shanahan [[electronic resource]]

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cambridge : , : Cambridge University Press, , 2004

ISBN

1-107-14945-2

1-280-45778-3

9786610457786

0-511-18609-6

0-511-18526-X

0-511-18795-5

0-511-31391-8

0-511-61668-6

0-511-18702-5

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (ix, 342 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Disciplina

576.8/2

Soggetti

Evolution (Biology) - History

Natural selection - History

Adaptation (Biology) - History

Evolution (Biology) - Philosophy

Natural selection - Philosophy

Adaptation (Biology) - Philosophy

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 321-338) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Part I. Selection: Darwin and natural selection -- The group selection controversy -- For whose good does natural selection work? -- Part II. Adaptation: Darwin (and others) on biological perfection -- Adaptation after Darwin -- Adaptation(ism) and its limits -- Part III. Progress: Darwin on evolutionary progress -- Evolutionary progress from Darwin to Dawkins -- Is evolution progressive? -- Human physical and mental evolution.

Sommario/riassunto

No other scientific theory has had as tremendous an impact on our understanding of the world as Darwin's theory as outlined in his Origin



of Species, yet from the very beginning the theory has been subject to controversy. The Evolution of Darwinism, first published in 2004, focuses on three issues of debate - the nature of selection, the nature and scope of adaptation, and the question of evolutionary progress. It traces the varying interpretations to which these issues were subjected from the beginning and the fierce contemporary debates that still rage on and explores their implications for the greatest questions of all: Where we come from, who we are and where we might be heading. Written in a clear and non-technical style, this book will be of use as a textbook for students in the philosophy of science who need to become familiar with the background to the debates about evolution.