Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanins of LifeThis groundbreaking exploration of evolutionary theory shows how natural selection, as a blind algorithmic process, reshapes our understanding of life, consciousness, morality, and culture—revealing why evolution remains the most powerful and controversial idea in science and philosophy. In a book that is both groundbreaking and accessible, Daniel C. Dennett, whom Chet Raymo of The Boston Globe calls "one of the most provocative thinkers on the planet," focuses his unerringly logical mind on the theory of natural selection, showing how Darwin's great idea transforms and illuminates our traditional view of humanity's place in the universe. Dennett vividly describes the theory itself and then extends Darwin's vision with impeccable arguments to their often surprising conclusions, challenging the views of some of the most famous scientists of our day. |
Contents
Preface | 11 |
CHAPTER | 17 |
CHAPTER | 35 |
Natural Selection as an Algorithmic Process | 48 |
CHAPTER THREE | 61 |
The Principle of the Accumulation of Design | 68 |
Whos Afraid of Reductionism? | 80 |
CHAPTER FOUR | 85 |
CHAPTER | 262 |
CHAPTER ELEVEN | 313 |
Teilhard Lamarck and Directed | 320 |
MIND MEANING MATHEMATICS AND MORALITY | 333 |
CHAPTER THIRTEEN | 370 |
CHAPTER FOURTEEN | 401 |
CHAPTER FIFTEEN | 428 |
CHAPTER SIXTEEN | 453 |
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Common terms and phrases
actual adaptation adaptationism adaptationist algorithmic process argument artifacts biologists biology brain Burgess Shale cells chapter chess Chomsky claim complex consider course cranes created cultural Darwin Darwin's dangerous idea Darwinian Darwinian thinking Dawkins Dennett Design Space effect Eigen engineering environment ethical evolution evolved exaptation explain fact function genes genetic genomes Gödel Gould and Lewontin happen human Hutterites imagine instance Intelligence intentional stance language laws Library of Babel Library of Mendel lineages living look machine meaning mechanism memes million mind Mitochondrial Eve move mutation natural selection Nietzsche organisms original particular Penrose perspective phenotypic philosophers physics play possible principle problem punctuated equilibrium question reason replication robot scientific scientists simple skyhooks sociobiology sort spandrels speciation species Stephen Jay Gould story strings suppose term things tion tournament Tree truth Turing turn two-bitser universe


