Synopses & Reviews
The ideas and terminology of Darwinism are so pervasive these days that it seems impossible to avoid them, let alone imagine a world without them. But in this remarkable rethinking of scientific history, Peter J. Bowler does just that. He asks:and#160;What if Charles Darwin had not returned from the voyage of the
Beagle and thus did not write
On the Origin of Species? Would someone else, such as Alfred Russel Wallace, have published the selection theory and initiated a similar transformation? Or would the absence of Darwinandrsquo;s book have led to a different sequence of events, in which biology developed along a track that did not precipitate a great debate about the impact of evolutionism? Would there have been anything equivalent to social Darwinism, and if so would the alternatives have been less pernicious and misappropriated?
In Darwin Deleted, Bowler argues that no one else, not even Wallace, was in a position to duplicate Darwinandrsquo;s complete theory of evolution by natural selection.and#160;Evolutionary biology would almost certainly have emerged, but through alternative theories, which were frequently promoted by scientists, religious thinkers, and moralists who feared the implications of natural selection. Because non-Darwinian elements of evolutionism flourished for a time in the real world, it is possible to plausibly imagine how they might have developed, particularly if the theory of natural selection had not emerged until decades after the acceptance of the basic idea of evolution. Bowlerandrsquo;s unique approach enables him to clearly explain the non-Darwinian traditionandmdash;and in doing so, he reveals how the reception of Darwinism was historically contingent. By taking Darwin out of the equation, Bowler is able to fully elucidate the ideas of other scientists, such as Richard Owen and Thomas Huxley, whose work has often been misunderstood because of their distinctive responses to Darwin.
Darwin Deleted boldly offers a new vision of scientific history. It is one where the sequence of discovery and development would have been very different and would have led to an alternative understanding of the relationship between evolution, heredity, and the environmentandmdash;and, most significantly, a less contentious relationship between science and religion. Far from mere speculation, this fascinating and compelling book forces us to reexamine the preconceptions that underlie many of the current controversies about the impact of evolutionism. It shows how contingent circumstances surrounding the publication of On the Origin of Species polarized attitudes in ways that still shape the conversation today.and#160;
Review
Oren Harman's compelling new book explores one of the key questions of our era—what are the origins of altruism? A little known mathematician lies at the heart of the story. George Price recognized that acts of kindness and self-sacrifice stood blatantly opposed to most of the principles of modern Darwinism. Harman's wide-ranging intellectual quest brings this shy, anguished, and fascinating man alive with style and passion, and reminds us of the powerful emotions that can fuel great scientific achievement. -- Janet Browne, author of
Review
" puts Price's work into a wide scientific and social context, showing real insight into its importance and genuine sympathy for the tale of his life." Steve Jones
Review
Remarkable... fascinating. -- Steve Jones
Review
"Ever since Charles Darwin had published his theory of evolution in 1859, scientists had wondered whether it can explain the existence of altruism. Price wanted to describe mathematically how a genetic disposition to altruism could evolve. As Mr. Harman so vividly describes, Price ultimately became one of the vagabonds he set out to save." The Economist
Review
An intriguing history for serious students of the history of science.A masterfully told story... This book is in the same class as Sylvia Nasar's A Beautiful Mindand could be as popular.Brilliant... A great story. -- Brian Appleyard
Review
[A] rich and vigorous survey of the controversy over altruism and its evolutionary role, stretching from the 19th century to now.[E]nthralling.... Extremely well researched and written with great love of the subject, The Price of Altruismreveals all sorts of personal details of momentous events in the history of science.... This is a book for anyone interested in the question, first posed by Darwin himself, of how we ended up with so much kindness in a natural world customarily depicted as 'red in tooth and claw.' Price struggled with it on an intensely personal level. His story is highly relevant at a time when greed as the basis of society has lost much of its appeal. -- Frans de Waal
Review
I stayed up a good part of the night reading... fascinating! ... Harman proves that the lives of some modern scientists are as ecstatic, tormented and filled with strange visions as those of medieval saints. -- Sylvia Nasar, author of
Review
This book is a stunning tour de force. The puzzle of altruism is revealed as it would be in a thriller, with twists and turns and surprises almost until the end. -- Noah Feldman, Bemis Professor of Law, Harvard University
Review
Uncommonly brilliant and deeply stimulating... almost cinematically satisfying. Harman has a rare gift for bringing ideas and thinkers to life. -- Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of
Review
A terrific book, at once scholarly and impossible to put down. -- Peter Godfrey-Smith, professor of philosophy at Harvard University
Review
A brilliant biography of a brilliant man. A powerful page-turner that vividly renders the obsessive absorption with the poles of cooperation and competition in nature. -- Daniel Kevles, Stanley Woodward Professor of History at Yale University
Review
In this remarkable book, Oren Harman tracks George Price, an awkward, disturbed, and profoundly, almost saintly scientist.... It is an astonishing story at every level, from the destitute wanderings and genial interventions of Price to a revealing account of how modern evolutionary biology took its contemporary form. -- Peter Galison, Pellegrino University Professor of the History of Science and Physics, Harvard University
Review
Remarkable... fascinating. New Scientist
Review
"Fascinating.... Important... full of complex and deeply interesting ideas." Sam Leith
Review
and#8220;Darwin Deleted offers a journey into the history of evolutionism well worth taking. Through his scenario in which the Origin never appeared, Bowler improves our ability to think about the assumptions underlying contemporary debates.and#8221;
Review
andquot;Without Darwin, Peter Bowler concludes, we would probably have ended up in much the same place we are today, with an evolutionary theory based largely on natural selection, and with most of the big historical events of the past century unfolding as they did. Where Darwin really mattered was in timing. Here, ironically, the shock of his book, and the polarisation it caused, may have delayed the acceptance of evolution. The great man was ahead of his time, and science may have paid a price for that.andquot;
Review
"In this extremely entertaining and meticulously detailed book, Peter J. Bowler explores the development of evolutionary biology
sans the grand old bearded one. . . . Removing Darwin from the picture altogether might be seen as rather drastic and many will raise an eyebrow at the approach Bowler adopts, yet it is a powerful and stimulating idea."
Review
andquot;Darwin Deleted does the scientific community a great service by reminding it of ideas that are often mentioned only in passing, if at all, in basic biology classes, or even those that teach evolutionary theory. The mainstream history of science so dominants the story that failed contingencies of history have little bearing once a scientific theory becomes fact. Unless one is a science historian, learners should be engaged in studying and applying the best ideas, rather than retracing dead ends. But the dead ends can present their own fascination. Ideas like inheritance without genetics, the rigid view that once a species emerged it remained unchanged, or spontaneous generation from primitive forms, created ideas against which evidence could be applied.andquot;
Review
andldquo;A coup in counterfactual history. Only Peter J. Bowler, with his unique command of intellectual history, would dare to propose this bookandrsquo;s radical heresy. Darwinian atheists will excommunicate him; andlsquo;God delusionistsandrsquo; will slate him for deposing their tribal deity. But it is only by denying Darwinandrsquo;s historical necessity that the freedom to augur a world of post-Darwinian alternatives becomes possible.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;What would science, and the world, have been like if Charles Darwin had never published
On the Origin of Species?and#160;This exhilarating book is Peter Bowlerandrsquo;s answer.and#160;He draws on unrivalled knowledge of evolutionary theorizing and its social lives to build up a compelling case for what might have been.and#160;Along the way, he shows by example how to pursue andlsquo;counterfactualandrsquo; inquiry into the scientific past and why, if we seek genuine understanding of that past, we need to do so.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Using his unrivaled knowledge of Charles Darwin and the revolution associated with his name, Peter J. Bowler digs deeply and profoundly into the ideas and events that Darwinandrsquo;s On the Origin of Species started by asking what would have happened had Darwin died young and the Origin never been written.and#160;Would science have gone on much the same; would social ideas associated with Darwin make no appearance?and#160;Bowler raises and discusses these and related questions in a work that is fun and informative.and#160;Whether or not he is right or wrong in his judgments, he makes you rethink yours.and#160;Buy the book and challenge Bowlerandrsquo;s counterfactual history.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Darwin Deleted is an important contribution to the history of science and is essential reading for students and scholars interested in the biological sciences and evolutionary thought. More importantly, however, it is an accessible book that will engage general readers and should be read by anyone who wants an informed view on the relationship between evolution and religion.andrdquo;
Review
"Remarkable... fascinating." The Big Issue
Synopsis
Survival of the fittest or survival of the nicest? Since the dawn of time man has contemplated the mystery of altruism, but it was Darwin who posed the question most starkly. From the selfless ant to the stinging bee to the man laying down his life for a stranger, evolution has yielded a goodness that in theory should never be. Set against the sweeping tale of 150 years of scientific attempts to explain kindness, tells for the first time the moving story of the eccentric American genius George Price (1922-1975), as he strives to answer evolution's greatest riddle. An original and penetrating picture of twentieth century thought, it is also a deeply personal journey. From the heights of the Manhattan Project to the inspired equation that explains altruism to the depths of homelessness and despair, Price's life embodies the paradoxes of Darwin's enigma. His tragic suicide in a squatter's flat, among the vagabonds to whom he gave all his possessions, provides the ultimate contemplation on the possibility of genuine benevolence.
Synopsis
Since the dawn of time man has contemplated the mystery of altruism, but it was Darwin who posed the question most starkly. From the selfless ant to the stinging bee to the man laying down his life for a stranger, evolution has yielded a goodness that in theory should never be.
Set against the sweeping tale of 150 years of scientific attempts to explain kindness, The Price of Altruism tells for the first time the moving story of the eccentric American genius George Price (1922-1975), as he strives to answer evolution's greatest riddle. An original and penetrating picture of twentieth century thought, it is also a deeply personal journey. From the heights of the Manhattan Project to the inspired equation that explains altruism to the depths of homelessness and despair, Price's life embodies the paradoxes of Darwin's enigma. His tragic suicide in a squatter's flat, among the vagabonds to whom he gave all his possessions, provides the ultimate contemplation on the possibility of genuine benevolence.
Synopsis
The moving tale of one man's quest to crack the mystery of altruism, an evolutionary enigma that has haunted scientists since Darwin.
Synopsis
'The moving tale of one man\'s quest to crack the mystery of altruism, an evolutionary enigma that has haunted scientists since Darwin.\n
'
Synopsis
A tragic tale of one man"s scientific quest to crack the mystery of altruism'"a pursuit that ultimately led to his suicide.
About the Author
Peter J. Bowler is professor emeritus of the history of science at Queenandrsquo;s University, Belfast. He has written several books on the development and impact of evolutionism and on science and religion, including
Evolution: The History of an Idea,
The Eclipse of Darwinism,
The Non-Darwinian Revolution,Charles Darwin: The Man and His Influence,
Monkey Trials and Gorilla Sermons,
Lifeandrsquo;s Splendid Drama, and
Reconciling Science and Religion, the latter two also published by the University of Chicago Press.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
1 History, Science, and Counterfactuals
2 Darwinand#8217;s Originality
3 Supernaturalism Runs Out of Steam
4 The Emergence of Evolutionism
5 A World with a Purpose
6 Whence Natural Selection?
7 Evolution and Religion: A Conflict Avoided?
8 Social Evolutionism
Notes
Bibliography
Index