Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation and Other Evolutionary Writings
Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation and Other Evolutionary Writings

Author: Robert Chambers

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1994-08-15

Total Pages: 720

ISBN-13: 9780226100722

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Originally published in 1844, Vestiges sparked one of the great intellectual controversies of the century. Integrating research in anthropology, geology, astronony, biology, economics, and chemistry, it was the first attempt to connect the natural sciences into a history of creation. The author, whose identity was not revealed until 1884, was Robert Chambers (1802-71), a leading Scottish writer and publisher. Vestiges reached a huge popular audience in Europe and America and was widely read by the social and intellectual elite. It fostered debate about natural law, setting the stage for the controversy over Darwin's Origin. In response to criticism, Chambers published Explanations: A Sequel, which offered a reasoned defense of his ideas about progressive development, castigating what he saw as the narrowness of specialist science. This volume, which also includes Chambers's earliest cosmological writings, a bibliography of reviews, and a comprehensive new index, illuminates the changing meanings of science and religion in the Victorian era and the rise of secular ideologies in Western culture. -- from back cover.

Robert Chambers of Edinburgh
Robert Chambers of Edinburgh

Author: Iris Macfarlane

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-06-08

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 1000202380

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This is a book on the life and times of Robert Chambers, founder of W. & R. Chambers publishers. Although there are now books based on some of his letters and on the impact of one of his books, The Vestiges of Natural Creation, there are no books on the whole man and his life. Written by Iris Macfarlane with Alan Macfarlane, the book weaves together three strands. At one level, it is a biography of Chambers and his family; the portrait of a rise from absolute poverty to great wealth and influence. At the second it provides the context of his life by the way of a portrait of nineteenth century Edinburgh as seen through his eyes. At the third it explores the intellectual and organisational revolutions embodied in his life, the explorations in history, folklore, geology, publishing, education and many other fields which made him one of the most exciting thinkers of his age. It is based on extensive archival research among the Chambers’ archives in Edinburgh and conversations with his descendants. Please note: This title is co-published with Social Science Press, New Delhi. Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Evolutionary Writings
Evolutionary Writings

Author: Charles Darwin

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2010-05-13

Total Pages: 1017

ISBN-13: 0191614769

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'Man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin' On topics ranging from intelligent design and climate change to the politics of gender and race, the evolutionary writings of Charles Darwin occupy a pivotal position in contemporary public debate. This volume brings together the key chapters of his most important and accessible books, including the Journal of Researches on the Beagle voyage (1845), the Origin of Species (1871), and the Descent of Man, along with the full text of his delightful autobiography. They are accompanied by generous selections of responses from Darwin's nineteenth-century readers from across the world. More than anything, they give a keen sense of the controversial nature of Darwin's ideas, and his position within Victorian debates about man's place in nature. The wide-ranging introduction by James A. Secord, Director of the Darwin Correspondence Project, explores the global impact and origins of Darwin's work and the reasons for its unparalleled significance today. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

From Darwinian Metaphysics Towards Understanding the Evolution of Evolutionary Mechanisms
From Darwinian Metaphysics Towards Understanding the Evolution of Evolutionary Mechanisms

Author: Momme von Sydow

Publisher: Universitätsverlag Göttingen

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 502

ISBN-13: 3863950062

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"Although Charles Darwin predicted that his theory 'would give zest to ... metaphysics, ' even he would be astonished at the variety of paths his theory has in fact taken. This holds with regard to both gene-Darwinism, a purified Darwinian approach biologizing the social sciences, and process- Darwinism found in the disciplines of psychology, philosophy of science, and economics. Although Darwinism is often linked to highly confirmed biological theories, some of its interpretations seem to profit from tautological claims as well, where scientific reputation cloaks ideological usage. This book discusses central tenets of Darwinism historically as well as systematically, for example the history of different Darwinian paradigms, the units-of-selection debate, and the philosophical problem of induction as basis of metaphysical Darwinism. Crucially the book addresses the Darwinian claim that evolution is governed by an immutable and unrelentingly cruel law of natural selection. Paradoxically, Darwins theory is a static, non-evolutionary theory of evolution. The current book sketches the historical background and provides suggestions that may help to replace this approach by the idea of an evolution of evolutionary mechanisms (see Escher's 'Drawing Hands' on the cover). This view even suggests a tendency to overcome the blindness of the knowledge acquisition of primordial Darwinian processes and allows for some freedom from external environments. This book first develops a radically Darwinian approach, then criticises this approach from within. Even Darwinism has a tendency to transcend itself. Although the book addresses several empirical issues, it does not challenge particular findings. Instead it builds on many insights of Darwinism and provides a proposal for interpreting known empirical evidence in a different light. It should help pave the way for further developing an understanding of nature that transcends Darwinian metaphysics"--Publisher's description.