Michael Ruse

In the first issue of _Mind_, Henry Sidgwick considered the relevance of evolutionary thinking to philosophical problems of ethics. His conclusion was unambiguous. Having agreed that the claim of the evolutionist is that organisms have developed naturally from simpler forms, he said ‘the theory of Evolution, this widely understood, has little or no bearing upon ethics’. Continuing that ‘when it is all admitted, I cannot see that any argument is gained for or against any particular ethical doctrine’. Thus was set the tone for the rest of the century, culminating in _Principia Ethica_ (1903) by Sidgwick’s student G. E. Moore. This essay will focus on Sidgwick’s contributions to _Mind_, showing that there are two very different approaches to evolution and ethics, that of Darwin and that of Herbert Spencer, that Sidgwick focused on Spencer rather than Darwin, and that he therefore missed an insightful approach to moral non-realism, an approach that was revived only as the twentieth century drew to an end.

Throughout history, scientific discovery has clashed with religious dogma, creating conflict, controversy, and sometimes violent dispute. In this enlightening and accessible volume, distinguished historian and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Edward Larson and Michael Ruse, philosopher of science and Gifford Lecturer, offer their distinctive viewpoints on the sometimes contentious relationship between science and religion. The authors explore how scientists, philosophers, and theologians through time and today approach vitally important topics, including cosmology, geology, evolution, genetics, neurobiology, gender, and the environment. Broaching their subjects from both historical and philosophical perspectives, Larson and Ruse avoid rancor and polemic as they address many of the core issues currently under debate by the adherents of science and the advocates of faith, shedding light on the richly diverse field of ideas at the crossroads where science meets spiritual belief.