Routledge, 2017

This volume is an interdisciplinary collection of 30 previously unpublished papers on topics lying at the intersection of evolutionary theory and analytic philosophy.

Information about the cover image can be found here.

"The Routledge Handbook of Evolution and Philosophy is a superb introduction to the field. Particularly impressive are the breadth of topics and the incredibly encouraging range of authors, young and old, male and female, and from so many countries and cultures. This is a book that will last."
-- Michael Ruse, Florida State University

DUST JACKET ABSTRACT:
In recent years, the relation between contemporary academic philosophy and evolutionary theory has become ever more active, multifaceted, and productive. The connection is an active two-way street. In one direction, philosophers of biology make significant contributions to theoretical discussions about the nature of evolution (such as "What is a species?," "What is reproductive fitness?," "Does selection operate primarily on genes?," and "What is an evolutionary function?"). In the other direction, a broader group of philosophers appeal to Darwinian selection in an attempt to illuminate traditional philosophical puzzles (such as "How could a brain-state have representational content?," "Are moral judgments justified?," "Why do we enjoy fiction?," and "Are humans invariably selfish?"). In grappling with these questions, this interdisciplinary collection includes cutting-edge examples from both directions of traffic. The 30 contributions, written exclusively for this volume, are divided into six sections: The Nature of Selection, Evolution and Information, Human Nature, Evolution and Mind, Evolution and Ethics, and Evolution, Aesthetics, and Art. Many of the contributing philosophers and psychologists are international leaders in their fields.

CONTENTS

Introduction
Richard Joyce

PART I: The Nature of Selection

1. "The nature of selection: An overview"
Tim Lewens

2. "Multilevel selection and units of selection up and down the biological hierarchy"
Elisabeth A. Lloyd

3. "Adaptation, multilevel selection, and organismality: A clash of perspectives"
Ellen Clarke

4. "Fitness maximization"
Jonathan Birch

5. "Does biology need teleology?"
Karen Neander

PART II: Evolution and Information

6. "Evolution and information: An overview"
Ulrich Stegmann

7. "The construction of learned information through selection processes
Nir Fresco, Eva Jablonka, and Simona Ginsburg

8. "Genetic, epigenetic, and exogenetic information"
Karola Stotz and Paul Griffiths

9. "Language: From how-possibly to how-probably?"
Kim Sterelny

10. "Acquiring knowledge on species-specific biorealities: The applied evolutionary epistemological approach"
Nathalie Gontier and Michael Bradie

PART III: Human Nature

11. "Human Nature: An overview"
Stephen Downes

12. "The reality of species: Real phenomena not theoretical objects"
John Wilkins

13. "Modern essentialism for species and its animadversions"
Joseph LaPorte

14. "What is human nature (if it is anything at all?)"
Louise Barrett

15. "The right to ignore: An epistemic defense of the nature/culture divide"
Maria Kronfeldner

PART IV: Evolution and Mind

16. "Evolution and mind: An overview"
Valerie Hardcastle

17. "Routes to the convergent evolution of cognition"
Edward Legg, Ljerka Ostojić, and Nicola Clayton

18. "Is consciousness an adaptation?"
Kari Theurer and Thomas Polger

19. "Plasticity and modularity"
Edouard Machery

20. "The prospects for teleosemantics: Can biological functions fix mental content?"
Justine Kingsbury

PART V: Evolution and Ethics

21. "Evolution and ethics: An overview"
Catherine Wilson

22. "The evolution of moral intuitions and their feeling of rightness"
Christine Clavien and Chloë FitzGerald

23. "Are we losing it? Darwin’s moral sense and the importance of early experience"
Darcia Narvaez

24. "The evolution of morality and the prospects for moral realism"
Ben Fraser

25. "Moral cheesecake, evolved psychology, and the debunking impulse"
Daniel Kelly

PART VI: Evolution, Aesthetics, and Art

26. "Evolution, aesthetics, and art: An overview"
Stephen Davies

27. "Music and human evolution: Philosophical aspects"
Anton Killin

28. "Emotional responses to fiction: An evolutionary perspective"
Helen De Cruz and Johan De Smedt

29. "Evolution and literature: Theory and example"
Brian Boyd

30. "Play and evolution"
Patrick Bateson

To come

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