Darwinism and its Discontents

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 326 pages
• Published by: Cambridge University Press July 31, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 052182947X
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0521829472
• Book Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 1.3 pounds

From Publishers Weekly
Ruse, a well-known evolutionary historian and philosopher, defends Darwin from all comers, whether religious critics; those who, like Gertrude Himmelfarb, have accused Darwin of being a second-rate scientist; or postmodernist critics who say science is a social construction and not objective truth. Ruse (Can a Darwinian Be a Christian?) expounds on why he accepts evolution as fact. Though he doesn't buy the argument that all science is merely a social construct, he acknowledges that Darwinism holds a mirror up to the times and reflects contemporary thinking, and he looks at the forms Darwinism has taken in philosophy, literature and popular culture. Some readers may think that Ruse, who freely and frequently admits that he isn't a Christian, doesn't quite provide a level playing field on which to confront some of his intellectual opponents, in particular the Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga and the atheist scientist Richard Dawkins. Still, Ruse's agnosticism keeps him from being doctrinaire ("Perhaps there is a God on the other side I do not know"). Some readers will struggle with Ruse's occasional philosophic density. Nevertheless, this should interest fans of the philosophy of science and readers caught up in the contemporary debate about evolution. (Aug.)
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Product Review
'As a philosopher, Ruse is well placed to discuss Darwinism's ethical, religious and philosophical dimensions. If the discontents stay with his book long enough to reach its later chapters, they will find material that transcends the conventional empirical challenges to their disbelief.' Nature 'Anyone who wants to understand evolutionary theory and the fascinating issues that surround it, can find no better place than Michael Ruse's Darwinism and Its Discontents. He discusses the objections raised to evolutionary theory down through the most legitimate to those that are anything but legitimate. His discussions are fair, measured and informed. High school students, undergraduates and the public at large would find this book worth reading.' David Hull, Northwestern University

Reader Reviews
At a time when Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris are releasing books that are very anti-theistic in nature, a book like "Darwinism and It's Discontents" is timely, indeed. It's point is to offer a staunch defense of evolution and evolutionary theory (in the process, doubting that creationist theories hold any water), but at the same time, doing so in a way that does not NECESSARILY equate (as Dawkins does) evolution with atheism. In other words, this is truly a book defending evolution AS evoluiton, rather than getting into the ancillary (so Ruse thinks) theological debate. And defend evolution he does - using very jargon-free and clear arguments and evidence. Each chapter addresses a particular "beef" that some have with evolution - is evolution really a scientifica theory?; Is it proven by the physical evidence?; Could it have produced life from non-life (abiogenesis)?; What, if anything, are the moral implications of evolution? All of these, and more, are very well explored. Now that I have trotted out the questions, let me give a preview to the answers found in the book (though you will still have to read it to get Ruse's arguments for them): Is evolution a scientific theory? Yes; while it started out more as a philosophic speculation, it has since become a very testable (verifiable and falsifiable) theory that can also be considered, in a sense, fact. Has physical evidence shown evolution to be true? We all know that on a micro level, hardly anyone would deny this. But, says Ruse, we also have evidence of transitional forms, archeological evidence that fits perfectly into the evolutionary paradigm, and strong evidence as to how evolution physically works. Can evolution produce life from non-life? Frankly, we are not sure yet, but a 'yes' answer looks promising. What are the moral implications of evolution? Ruse trods through countless attempts by theorists as diverse as Spencer, Huxley, and E.O. Wilson to draw moral implications from evolution, but Ruse's final analysis suggests that no "ought" can be derived from an "is" without, itself, being a moral judgment. Ergo, evolution only has moral implications if you want it to. (And, yes, nonbelieving Ruse suggests that one can - very carefully, of course - be theistic and believe in evolution!). All in all, a very well written and moderate defense of evolution. Unlike books by Dawkins, Harris, and, to a lesser extend, the philosopher Dan Dennett, this book is one that a thoughtful religionist could read without pulling one's hair out. In other words, Ruse is the unique type of author who can, at once, defend evolution deftly while also being able to speak maturely and non-condescendingly to critics of evolution