Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanins of LifeIn this groundbreaking and very accessible book, Daniel C. Dennett, the acclaimed author of Consciousness Explained, demonstrates the power of the theory of natural selection and shows how Darwin's great idea transforms and illuminates our traditional view of our place in the universe. Following Darwinian thinking to its logical conclusions is a risky business, with pitfalls for everybody. Creationists and others who reject evolution are not the only ones to fall into the traps. Many who accept the validity of Darwin's conclusions hesitate before their implications and distort his theory, fearful that it is politically incorrect or antireligious, or that it robs life of all spirituality. Dennett explains the scientific theory of natural selection in vivid terms, and shows how it extends far beyond biology. |
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Contents
Preface | 11 |
CHAPTER | 17 |
CHAPTER | 35 |
Natural Selection as an Algorithmic Process | 48 |
CHAPTER THREE | 61 |
The Principle of the Accumulation of Design | 68 |
Whos Afraid of Reductionism? | 80 |
CHAPTER FOUR | 85 |
CHAPTER ELEVEN | 313 |
Teilhard Lamarck and Directed | 320 |
MIND MEANING MATHEMATICS AND MORALITY | 333 |
Invasion of the BodySnatchers | 342 |
Could There Be a Science of Memetics? | 352 |
The Philosophical Importance of Memes | 361 |
CHAPTER THIRTEEN | 370 |
CHAPTER FOURTEEN | 401 |
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Common terms and phrases
actual adaptation adaptationism adaptationist algorithmic process argument artifacts biologists biology brain Burgess Shale cells chapter chess Chomsky claim complex consider course cranes created cultural Darwin Darwin's dangerous idea Darwinian Darwinian thinking Dawkins Dennett Design Space effect Eigen engineering environment ethical evolution evolved exaptation explain fact function genes genetic genomes Gödel Gould and Lewontin happen human Hutterites imagine instance Intelligence intentional stance language laws Library of Babel Library of Mendel lineages living look machine meaning mechanism memes million mind Mitochondrial Eve move mutation natural selection Nietzsche organisms original particular Penrose perspective phenotypic philosophers physics play possible principle problem punctuated equilibrium question reason replication scientific scientists simple skyhooks sociobiology sort spandrels speciation species Stephen Jay Gould story strings suppose term things tion tournament Tree truth Turing turn two-bitser universe