Darwin and Design: Does Evolution Have a Purpose?
Ruse examines the concept of 'design' in nature, explaining why it still remains a strong influence despite the scientific revolution, and historically, how it dominated Western thought from ancient Greece (Plato) to the advent and predominance of Christianity...A rich and compelling book. (J. S. SchwartzChoice2003-11-01)Anyone who is interested in the 'science wars' controversy or the history of evolutionary thought will find this book fascinating and rewarding. The prose is masterfill--relaxed, colloquial, rich in information, and suffused with flashes of malicious wit and delicious historical tidbits. (Matt CartmillReports of the National Center for Science Education)To anyone interested in the evolution of evolution, I recommend this book. (John Tyler BonnerNatural History)This has to be the best of Ruse's many books, and it is hard to imagine how a better one could be written on this subject. With an understanding erudition spiced with good-natured wit and occasional sly ribaldry, Ruse moves easily and assuredly among biology, philosophy, history, and theology. (Robert T. PennockScience2003-08-22)Michael Ruse's latest book,Darwin and Design, is an intellectual history of the design argument and its Darwinian solution...His story is a fascinating one, enlivened especially by his accounts of various imaginative attempts before Darwin to solve the design problem without recourse to a deity. (Daniel W. McSheaAmerican Scientist2003-11-01)