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21The Place of Artificial Selection in Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution through Natural SelectionIn Gregory J. Morgan (ed.), Philosophy of Science Matters: The Philosophy of Peter Achinstein, Oxford University Press. pp. 203. 2011.
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177Darwin's debt to philosophy: An examination of the influence of the philosophical ideas of John F.W. Herschel and William Whewell on the development of Charles Darwin's theory of evolutionStudies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 6 (2): 159-181. 1975.
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61Evolutionary Ethics: What Can We Learn From from the Past?Zygon 34 (3): 435-451. 1999.In this paper I look at the question of the derivation of ethics from evolutionary biology, and I do so by considering both historical attempts to make such a derivation and contemporary work.
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69Moral Philosophy as Applied ScienceIn Elliott Sober (ed.), Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology, The Mit Press. Bradford Books. pp. 61--421. 1994.
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72The Morality of the GeneThe Monist 67 (2): 167-199. 1984.The relationship between biology, the science of organisms, and ethics, the philosophy of morality, has never been a particularly happy or fruitful one. Indeed, for much of this century, attempts to relate our animal nature to our sense of right and wrong have been taken as paradigms of how not to do moral philosophy. It has been argued that such systems of “evolutionary ethics” commit the most basic fallacies, and can serve only as dreadful warnings to those who would cross interdisciplinary di…Read more
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19Reduction in GeneticsPSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1974. 1974.
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40A few last words-until the next time!Zygon 29 (1): 75-79. 1994.Appreciative as I am of my critics'comments, I find, to no one's surprise, that I can bear them with equanimity, even complacency. The wide spread of opinions surely justifies my intellectual composure.
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6The Development of Darwin's Theory: Natural History, Natural Theology, and Natural Selection, 1838-1859. Dov Ospovat (review)Isis 74 (2): 292-293. 1983.
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30Evolutionary biology and teleological thinkingIn Andre Ariew, Robert Cummins & Mark Perlman (eds.), Functions: New Essays in the Philosophy of Psychology and Biology, Oxford University Press. pp. 33--60. 2002.
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27Forty Years a Philosopher of Biology: Why EvoDevo Makes Me Still Excited About My SubjectBiological Theory 1 (1): 35-37. 2006.
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40Is Darwinism past its “sell-by” date? The Origin of Species at 150Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 42 (1): 5-11. 2011.Many people worry that the theory of evolution that Charles Darwin gave in his Origin of Species is now dated and no longer part of modern science. This essay challenges this claim, arguing that the central core of the Origin is as vital today as it ever was, although naturally the science keeps moving on. Darwin provided the foundation not the finished product
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5Sociobiology: Sound Science or Muddled Metaphysics?PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1976. 1976.
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153Can a Darwinian be a Christian? Sociobiological IssuesZygon 35 (2): 299-316. 2000.This essay looks at the Darwinian sociobiological account of morality, arguing that in major respects this philosophy should prove congenial to theChristian. It is shown how modern-day Darwinism, starting from a ‘selfish gene’ perspective, nevertheless argues that a genuine moral sense is part of our evolutionary heritage. This moral sense yields directives much in tune with Christian prescriptions. It is argued also that Darwinian sociobiology can itself offer no metaethical foundations for mor…Read more
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40Natural theology: The biological sciencesIn J. H. Brooke, F. Watts & R. R. Manning (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Natural Theology, Oxford Up. pp. 397. 2013.This chapter demonstrates the significance of the biological sciences in natural theology. It does so by considering three major topics: the argument from design, the problem of evil, and the place of humans in the cosmic scheme of things. In the light of modern biology, specifically modern Darwinian evolutionary theory, there is little support for definitive proofs of the nature and existence of the Christian God. However, notwithstanding arguments to the contrary, there is nothing in modern Da…Read more
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24Darwin versus the Liberals: The third assault of the intelligent designersStudies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 46 (1): 89-92. 2014.
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14Formal Thought and the Science of Man (review)International Studies in Philosophy 20 (1): 82-83. 1988.
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218Making room for faith in an age of science: A response to David WisdoZygon 46 (3): 655-672. 2011.Abstract. I respond to the criticisms of David Wisdo of my position on the relationship between science and religion. I argue that although he gives a full and fair account of my position, he fails to grasp fully my use of the metaphorical basis of modern science in my argument that, because of its mechanistic commitment, there are some questions that science not only does not answer but that science does not even attempt to answer. Hence, my position stands and plays a crucial role in our under…Read more
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4The Possibility of Naturalism: A Philosophical Critique of the Contemporary Human Sciences. Roy Bhaskar (review)Isis 72 (3): 493-495. 1981.
Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
Areas of Specialization
Philosophy of Religion |
Philosophy of Biology |
Areas of Interest
Philosophy of Religion |
Philosophy of Biology |