num_pages: 352
description: The Evolution Wars draws on history science and philosophy to examine the development of evolutionary thought through the past two and a half centuries. It focuses on the debates that have engaged divided and ultimately provoked scientists to ponder the origins of organismsincluding humankindpaying regard to the nineteenth-century clash over the nature of classification and debates about the fossil record genetics and human nature. Much attention is paid to external factors and the underlying motives of scientists.In these pages you will meet Charles Darwins ebullient grandfather Erasmus the contentious Frenchmen Georges Cuvier and Etienne Geoffroy Stain-Hillaire new creationist Phillip Johnson the brilliant J. B. S. Haldane outspoken Richard Dawkins and many other stars of the debates.The Evolution Wars explores the ten greatest controversies surrounding evolution in world history with emphasis on recent times including the infamous Scopes trial of the 1920 the search for human origins and speculation about the missing link spurred by the discovery of Lucy; the debate surrounding the new theory of paleontology proposed by Stephen Jay Gould; and the rise of teaching creation science in public school as a subject on par with evolution. Although the author takes a strong stand on the side of evolution he also shows respect for dissenting viewpoints. Thus the book is intellectually rewarding not only for evolutionists but also for opponents of evolution theory especially those who want to see how one of the great ideas of Western civilization resonates through time both within and beyond the scientific community.
language: English
title: The Evolution Wars: A Guide to the Debates
publisher: Rutgers University Press