Darwin and Philosophy

Library Journal

The 17 essays collected here on the philosophical implications of Darwinism were presented at a recent conference on that subject at the University of Notre Dame. The editors-both very philosophically savvy-contributed two of the essays and provided helpful introductions to different aspects of the inquiry. Darwin's thinking necessitates a macrocosmic world view: Its main concern is evolutionary biology, but this in turn provokes questions about the nature of reality (metaphysics, ontology), knowledge (epistemology), values (ethics), the nature of time (history), and more. The contributors are "historians of philosophy, geology, biology, and psychology-the disciplines to which Darwin contributed most," and, as such, both the Continental and the analytic schools of philosophy are well represented. The writing is accessible enough, and given the current media coverage of evolutionism, creationism, and "intelligent design," this book could appeal to a wide audience. Because of its rigorous, academic treatment, however, it will more likely be limited to the academic world.-Leon H. Brody, U.S. Office of Personnel Management Lib., Washington, DC Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.