John DuprA(c) – författare

Charles Darwin transformed our understanding of the universe and our place in it with his development of the theory of evolution. 150 years later, we are still puzzling over the implications. John Dupré presents a lucid, witty introduction to evolution and what it means for our view of humanity, the natural world, and religion. He explains the right and the wrong ways to understand evolution: in the latter category fall most of the claims of evolutionarypsychology, of which Dupré gives a withering critique. He shows why the theory of evolution is one of the most important scientific ideas of all time, but makes clear that it can''t explain everything - contrary to widespread popular belief, it has very little to tell us about the details of human nature andhuman behaviour, such as language, culture, and sexuality.Darwin''s Legacy clears a path through the confusion and controversy surrounding evolution; anyone who is interested in understanding what the theory of evolution can and can''t do will find this a compelling and enjoyable introduction.

Charles Darwin transformed our understanding of the universe and our place in it with his development of the theory of evolution. 150 years later, we are still puzzling over the implications. John Dupré presents a lucid, witty introduction to evolution and what it means for our view of humanity, the natural world, and religion. He explains the right and the wrong ways to understand evolution: in the latter category fall most of the claims of evolutionarypsychology, of which Dupré gives a withering critique. He shows why the theory of evolution is one of the most important scientific ideas of all time, but makes clear that it can''t explain everything - contrary to widespread popular belief, it has very little to tell us about the details of human nature andhuman behaviour, such as language, culture, and sexuality.Darwin''s Legacy clears a path through the confusion and controversy surrounding evolution; anyone who is interested in understanding what the theory of evolution can and can''t do will find this a compelling and enjoyable introduction.

Everyone Flows starts with an ancient and fundamental philosophical question: whether we live in a world of things, stable, autonomous, and with sharp boundaries, or a world of processes in flux, in which stabilities are only transient and processes are inextricably intertwined with one another. The first three chapters of the book make a forceful argument for the latter view, especially as applied to living beings. Special attention is given to organisms and lineages as processes, the latter being the processes in which evolution occurs. Lineages generate organisms, but organisms compose lineages, illustrating the deep hierarchical interconnections of the world of process. The interconnectedness of life is amplified with an extended consideration of the omnipresence of symbiosis, and some reflections on the processual character of the pregnant mammal.The final three chapters of the book apply the processual view of nature to problems more specific to the human. A starting point here is the uniqueness of the human lineage, in respect of its sociality and behavioural plasticity, which together enable a unique division of labour, and also in respect of the extent and complexity of the niche that humans have constructed for their occupation. It is shown that the processual perspective on the human organism and lineage offers surprising and radical insights into topics including the nature of personal identity, the possibility of indefinite life extension, human nature, human classifications (including those provided by race and gender), and freedom of the will.