- Summary
- "In Darwin's Spectre, Michael Rose provides the general reader with an introduction to the theory of evolution: its beginning with Darwin, its key concepts, and how it may affect us in the future. First comes a brief biographical sketch of Darwin. Next, Rose gives a primer on the three most important concepts in evolutionary theory - variation, selection, and adaptation. With a firm grasp of these concepts, the reader is ready to look at modern applications of evolutionary theory." "Darwin's Spectre explains how evolutionary biology has been used to support both valuable applied research, particularly in agriculture, and truly frightening objectives, such as Nazi eugenics. Darwin's legacy has been a comfort and a scourge. But it has never been irrelevant."--Jacket.
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- Rose, Michael R. (Michael Robertson), 1955-
- Published
- Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, [1998]
©1998
- Contents
-
Darwin: The reluctant revolutionary
Heredity: The problem variation
Selection: Nature red in tooth and claw
Evolution: The tree of life
Agriculture: Malthus postponed
Medicine: Dying of ignorance
Eugenics: Promethean Darwinism
Origins: From baboons to archbishops
Psyche: Darwinism meets film noir
Society: Ideology as biology
Religion: The spectre haunting.
- Notes
-
Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-227) and index.
Darwin: The reluctant revolutionary -- Heredity: The problem variation -- Selection: Nature red in tooth and claw -- Evolution: The tree of life -- Agriculture: Malthus postponed -- Medicine: Dying of ignorance -- Eugenics: Promethean Darwinism -- Origins: From baboons to archbishops -- Psyche: Darwinism meets film noir -- Society: Ideology as biology -- Religion: The spectre haunting.
