In search of human nature
Subtitle: the decline and revival of Darwinism in American social thought
By: Carl N. Degler.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 1991
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 400
ISBN-13: 9780195063806
Subjects: Social Darwinism -- United States -- History; Sociobiology -- History; Eugenics -- History; Human-animal relationships
Description: Now, with In Search of Human Nature, Degler turns to perhaps his largest subject yet, a sweeping history of the impact of Darwinism (and biological research) on our understanding of human nature, providing a fascinating overview of the social sciences in the last one hundred years. What kind of animal is homo sapiens and how did we come to be this way? In this wide ranging history, Carl Degler traces our attempts over the last century to answer these questions. In doing so, he has produced a volume that will fascinate anyone curious about the nature of human beings. - Jacket flap.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 351-383) and index.
Table of contents: title: I. Biology acknowledged.; title: Invoking the Darwinian imperative; title: Beyond the Darwinian imperative; title: II. The sovereignty of culture.; title: Laying the foundation; title: In the wake of Boas; title: Does sex tell us anything?; title: Decoupling behavior from nature; title: Decoupling intelligence from race; title: Why did culture triumph?; title: III. Remembering Darwin.; title: Biology redivivus; title: The case of the origin of the incest taboo; title: The uses of biology; title: Biology and the nature of females; title: The uses and misuses of evolutionary theory in social science; title: Epilogue : Beyond social science