内容简介
CharlesDarwin’spermanentlegacyishisbroad,abstracttheoriesofevolutionandnaturalselection,theoriesthathetestedagainstanastonishingarrayofnaturalhistoryevidenceinhiswriting.MarkRidleyusesaquestion-and-answerapproachtoexplainhowDarwincarefullytackledproblems,andshowsherehowthereadercanunderstandDarwin’sargumentsbyfirstworkingoutwhichquestionDarwinhadimplicitlysethimselftoanswer.RidleyconcentratesonunderstandingDarwin’smostimportantbooks,OntheOriginofSpeciesandTheDescentofMan,buthealsoexaminesasamplefromoneofDarwin’sotherworksontheemotions,asonerepresentativefromDarwin’slesser-knownworksthatrangedfromflowerpollinationtocoralreefs,fromanimaldomesticationtolandscapingbyearthworms.
作者简介
MarkRidleyworksintheDepartmentofZoology,OxfordUniversity.HepreviouslyheldpostsatEmoryUniversityinAtlantaandatCambridgeUniversityinEngland.HisbooksincludethestandardcollegetextEvolutionandMendel’sDemon.HehasalsoeditedanthologiesonEvolutionandADarwinSelection.SimonCritchleyisHansJonasProfessorattheNewSchoolforSocialResearch,andapart-timeprofessorofphilosophyatTilburgUniversityintheNetherlands.HismanybooksincludeInfinitelyDemanding,Ethics-Politics-Subjectivityand,mostrecently,TheBookofDeadPhilosophers.