| Evolution's First Philosopher: John Dewey and the Continuity of Nature Contributor(s): Popp, Jerome A. (Author) |
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ISBN: 079146959X ISBN-13: 9780791469590 Publisher: State University of New York Press OUR PRICE: $90.25 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: January 2007 Annotation: Examines John Dewey's ideas in the context of evolutionary theory. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Philosophy | History & Surveys - Modern - Science | Life Sciences - Evolution |
| Dewey: 191 |
| LCCN: 2006007120 |
| Series: Suny Series in Philosophy and Biology |
| Physical Information: 0.64" H x 6.28" W x 9.32" (1.01 lbs) 155 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1851-1899 - Chronological Period - 20th Century |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: John Dewey was the first philosopher to recognize that Darwin's thesis about natural selection not only required us to change how we think about ourselves and the life forms around us, but also required a markedly different approach to philosophy. Evolution's First Philosopher shows how Dewey's arguments arose from his recognition of the continuity of natural selection and mindedness, from which he developed his concept of growth. Growth, for Dewey, has no end beyond itself and forms the basis of a naturalized theory of ethics. While other philosophers gave some attention to evolutionary theory, it was Dewey alone who saw that Darwinism provides the basis for a naturalized theory of meaning. This, in turn, portends a new account of knowledge, ethics, and democracy. To clarify evolution's conception of natural selection, Jerome A. Popp looks at brain science and examines the relationship between the genome and experience in terms of the contemporary concepts of preparedness and plasticity. This research shows how comprehensive and penetrating Dewey's thought was in terms of further consequences for the philosophical method entailed by Darwin's thesis. Dewey's foresight is further legitimated when Popp places his work within the context of the current thought of Daniel Dennett. |