| Description |
135 pages ; 22 cm |
| Series |
Concepts in the social sciences |
|
Concepts in the social sciences.
|
| Contents |
Machine generated contents note: Introduction: Unpacking 'Social Darwinism' 1 -- 1 Social Darwinism: Problems of Direction, Purpose and Progress 7 -- 2 Evolutionary Thought in Contemporary Sociology 31 -- 3 Nature-Culture Dualism and Beyond 48 -- 4 New Forms of Social Darwinism: The Bell Curve and its Implications 63 -- 5 An Evolved Human Nature? 81 -- 6 Social Darwinism: Towards a New Synthesis 98 |
| Summary |
"Social Darwinism is the extension of Darwin's evolutionary ideas to human society. Over the past two centuries it has been argued that the 'fittest' in terms of physical and mental prowess are the most likely to survive and reproduce. It has also been suggested that the increasingly complex structure of human society mirrors the increasing complexity of nature. This highly original text examines whether these extensions from nature to society are justified, and considers how dangerous they may be in implying the systematic neglect - or even destruction - of the least 'fit'. It asks what, in any case, is 'fitness' as applied to human beings? It also questions whether human nature is constrained by modern society and whether people evolved as essentially competitive or collaborative."--BOOK JACKET |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Subject |
Social Darwinism.
|
|
Sociobiology.
|
|
Social Sciences.
|
|
Biological Evolution.
|
| LC no. |
99056450 |
| ISBN |
0335202195 cased |
|
0335202187 paperback |
|
