Product Description

Perhaps because of it implications for our understanding of human nature, recent philosophy of biology has seen what might be the most dramatic work in the philosophies of the special sciences. This drama has centered on evolutionary theory, and in the second edition of this textbook, Elliott Sober introduces the reader to the most important issues of these developments. With a rare combination of technical sophistication and clarity of expression, Sober engages both the higher level of theory and the direct implications for such controversial issues as creationism, teleology, nature versus nurture, and sociobiology. Above all, the reader will gain from this book a firm grasp of the structure of evolutionary theory, the evidence for it, and the scope of its explanatory significance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #896979 in Books
• Published on: 1999-12-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Customer Reviews

Best short introduction to important growing topic.
In brief this was one of the best books I read in 1995. While the book is a splendid introduction to an exciting topic, it has numerous special insights and clarifying presentations. It keeps close to biology demonstrating some fascinating respects in which biology and its theorists raise special issues in the philosophy of science. The book would go well with one of the main philosophy of natural sciences textbooks.

fantastic in bursts
This work is presented as a book but it is really a collection of writings on the various philosophical problems which come up in biology (with an emphasis on evolution).

That said, Sober does a great job of identifying a list of philosophical problems which come up in biology, stating them very clearly and working through them with a philosopher's rigour.

I found this book useful, especially the sections on the tautology objection to the theory of evolution and also the material on the ontological status of species.

You might also like to look at 'Sex and Death' by Sterelny and Griffiths, for a more recent book on along the same lines.