What is science? Is it uniquely equipped to deliver universal truths? Or is it one of many disciplines - art, literature, religion - that offer different forms of understanding? In The Meaning of Science, Tim Lewens offers a provocative introduction to the philosophy of science, showing us for example what physics teaches us about reality, what biology teaches us about human nature, and what cognitive science teaches us about human freedom. Drawing on the insights of towering figu...

Humans learn in ways that are influenced by others. As a result, cultural items of many types are elaborated over time in ways that build on the achievements of previous generations. Culture therefore shows a pattern of descent with modification reminiscent of Darwinian evolution. This raises the question of whether cultural selection-a mechanism akin to natural selection, albeit working when learned items are passed from demonstrators to observers-can explain how various practices are ref...

Tim Lewens aims to understand what it means to take an evolutionary approach to cultural change, and why it is that this approach is often treated with suspicion. Convinced of the exceptional power of natural selection, many thinkers--typically working in biological anthropology, cognitive psychology, and evolutionary biology--have suggested it should be freed from the confines of biology, and applied to cultural change in humans and other animals. At the same time, others--typically with ...

Much recent thought on the ethics of new biomedical technologies, and work in ethics and political philosophy more generally, is committed to hidden and contestable views about the nature of biological reality. This selection of essays by Tim Lewens, a leading expert in the field, teases out these biological foundations of bioethical writing and subjects them to scrutiny. The topics covered include human enhancement, the risks of technical progress, the alleged moral threat of synthetic bi...

In this invaluable book, Tim Lewens shows in a clear and accessible manner how important Darwin is for philosophy and how his work has shaped and challenged the very nature of the subject.Beginning with an overview of Darwin’s life and work, the subsequent chapters discuss the full range of fundamental philosophical topics from a Darwinian perspective. These include natural selection; the origin and nature of species; the role of evidence in scientific enquiry; the theory of Intell...

Is human nature something that the natural and social sciences aim to describe, or is it a pernicious fiction? What role, if any, does 'human nature' play in directing and informing scientific work? Can we talk about human nature without invoking-either implicitly or explicitly-a contrast with human culture? It might be tempting to think that the respectability of 'human nature' is an issue that divides natural and social scientists along disciplinary boundaries, but the truth is more comp...

"Ich kann sie sehen! Wirklich sehen! Geister, Dämonen, Gespenster. Sie lauern in dunklen Nischen und Ecken, treiben ihr Unwesen … überall. Doch ich stelle mich ihnen entgegen und mache dem Spuk ein Ende. Ich bin Johnny. Johnny Sinclair. Ich bin Geisterjäger." Johnny Sinclair ist endlich offizieller Geisterjäger! Seine erste Auftraggeberin ist Klassenkameradin Millie Edwards, die offenbar von Geistern geplagt wird. Als Johnny zusammen mit seinem Freund und Helfer Russell erste Informationen...

How can we determine an acceptable level of risk? Should these decisions be made by experts, or by the people they affect? How should safety and security be balanced against other goods, such as liberty?This is the first collection to examine the philosophical dimensions of these pressing practical problems. Leading scholars exploring the full range of philosophical implications of risk, including:risk and ethicsrisk and rationalityrisk and scienti...

Ein Hörspiel von Sebastian Breidbach und Dennis Ehrhardt nach dem gleichnamigen Roman von Sabine Städing l Teil 3 von 3 "Ich kann sie sehen! Wirklich sehen! Geister, Dämonen, Gespenster. Sie lauern in dunklen Nischen und Ecken, treiben ihr Unwesen … überall. Doch ich stelle mich ihnen entgegen und mache dem Spuk ein Ende. Ich bin Johnny. Johnny Sinclair. Ich bin Geisterjäger." Johnny Sinclairs erster großer Geisterjäger-Auftrag droht zum Desaster zu werden! Noch immer gibt es keinen Hinwei...