On Genes, Gods and Tyrants

On Genes, Gods and Tyrants PDF Author: Camilo J. Cela-Conde
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400933894
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 211

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Book Description
Our future was with the collective, but our survival was with the individual, and the paradox was killing us everyday. John Le Carre Smiley's People (1979) Since the time of Ancient Greek lyrical poetry, it has been one of man's dreams to explain his own conduct. This is the background to all his activities, from literature to speculative philosophy, including those odds and ends which, for want of a better name and more precise boundaries are called "human science". Over the past nine or ten years a new member has been added to this inquisitive family, one which, moreover, claims to be scientific to an extremely high degree: biology. This is in fact a recurrent event, since theses designed to introduce causal biological expla nations into the general field of human action had already been formulated on at least two occasions (in original Darwinism and the Neo-Darwinist synthesis). Ethologists and sociobiologists are today taking over and as suring us that they have the necessary tools to provide an answer to what perhaps seemed the most slippery subject in the hands of science: the social being. As might be expected, philosophers have reacted with some scepticism. Though human conduct is undoubtedly subject to determinants, the lion's share of responsi bility lies with society itself. At the time when biology was beginning to develop the theories necessary to overcome cre ationism, Karl Marx had already managed to construct highly sophisticated interpretive models of human social behaviour.

The Tyranny of God

The Tyranny of God PDF Author: Marquez Comelab
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 144527342X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description
This book explores the truth behind our beliefs in God and the propensity of human beings to be religious. In an honest attempt to seek the answers to life's deepest questions, the author probes into how life began. It then progresses to investigate the nature of religions and writes that, because we refuse to accept our mortality, we delude ourselves and we coerce others, with the tyranny of our own beliefs.

The Selfish Gene

The Selfish Gene PDF Author: Richard Dawkins
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780192860927
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 372

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Book Description
Science need not be dull and bogged down by jargon, as Richard Dawkins proves in this entertaining look at evolution. The themes he takes up are the concepts of altruistic and selfish behaviour; the genetical definition of selfish interest; the evolution of aggressive behaviour; kinshiptheory; sex ratio theory; reciprocal altruism; deceit; and the natural selection of sex differences. 'Should be read, can be read by almost anyone. It describes with great skill a new face of the theory of evolution.' W.D. Hamilton, Science

Sociophysics

Sociophysics PDF Author: Paris Arnopoulos
Publisher: Nova Publishers
ISBN: 9781590339671
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
New transdisciplinary studies have been appearing not only in such established areas as biochemistry or social psychology; there are presently emerging inter-scientific fields such as sociobiology, econophysics and last but not least sociophysics. The latter is a renewed attempt to combine the latest natural and social science theories and come up with significant generalisations for both. Using the powerful physics metaphor as an inertial guidance system, sociophysics emphasises the underlying similarities between all systems. This new scientific hybrid is raising much controversy as well as revealing great promise; for this reason, it has been chosen to provide the core and focus for this book. The holistic scope of this book makes it an appropriate reference work in many courses, such as: Global Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; Macroeconomics; Sociological Theory; Philosophy of Social Science; Theoretical Physics; Thermodynamics; Macro-history; Behavioural Science; General Systems Theory; and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Dawkins' God

Dawkins' God PDF Author: Alister E. McGrath
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118964780
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
A fully updated new edition of a critically acclaimed examination of the theories and writings of Richard Dawkins by a world-renowned expert on the relation of science and religion Includes in-depth analysis of Dawkins’ landmark treatise The God Delusion (2006), as well as coverage of his later popular works The Magic of Reality (2011) and The Greatest Show on Earth (2011),and a new chapter on Dawkins as a popularizer of science Tackles Dawkins’ hostile and controversial views on religion, and examine the religious implications of his scientific ideas including a comprehensive investigation of the ‘selfish gene’ Written in an accessible and engaging style that will appeal to anyone interested in better understanding the interplay between science and religion

Genes, Determinism and God

Genes, Determinism and God PDF Author: Denis Alexander
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108509487
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 395

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Book Description
Over the past centuries the pendulum has constantly swung between an emphasis on the role of either nature or nurture in shaping human destiny, a pendulum often energised by ideological considerations. In recent decades the flourishing of developmental biology, genomics, epigenetics and our increased understanding of neuronal plasticity have all helped to subvert such dichotomous notions. Nevertheless, the media still report the discovery of a gene 'for' this or that behaviour, and the field of behavioural genetics continues to extend its reach into the social sciences, reporting the heritability of such human traits as religiosity and political affiliation. There are many continuing challenges to notions of human freedom and moral responsibility, with consequent implications for social flourishing, the legal system and religious beliefs. In this book, Denis Alexander critically examines these challenges, concluding that genuine free will, often influenced by genetic variation, emerges from an integrated view of human personhood derived from contemporary biology.

God, Science, and Designer Genes

God, Science, and Designer Genes PDF Author: Spencer S. Stober
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
A biologist and a Christian theologian examine the scientific and philosophical implications and potential impacts of genetic technologies. God, Science, and Designer Genes: An Exploration of Emerging Technologies provides a unique approach to the central ethical dilemma in contemporary science, offering both an up-to-date account of the current state of genetic technologies and insightful discussions of the moral/theological questions these technologies raise. Coauthored by professors of biology and theology, God, Science, and Designer Genes examines a range of from-the-headlines issues, including the relationship between science and religion, "designing" our children, stem-cell research, cloning, genetics and behavior, genetics and privacy, and using genetic technologies for social justice. Who should benefit—personally and financially—from DNA technology? Who might be harmed? How do we protect individual rights and guard against discrimination? How will embryo modification affect the identity of those so modified? God, Science, and Designer Genes gives readers an eloquent, thoughtful, and objective foundation for considering these and other questions about the potential conflict between scientific achievement, personal faith, and social responsibility.

Sex, Reproduction and Darwinism

Sex, Reproduction and Darwinism PDF Author: Filomena de Sousa
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317321634
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
This collection of essays looks at sexuality and reproduction from an evolutionary perspective. Covering experimental discoveries as well as theoretical investigations, the volume explores the relationship between evolution and other areas of human behaviour.

Tyranny, Taboo, and the Ten Commandments

Tyranny, Taboo, and the Ten Commandments PDF Author: Hilton J. Bik
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1462813550
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
The Hebrew Bible is arguably the most influential work of all time—the most prized, and most studied, literary possession of Western civilization. Yet its message remains enigmatic, obscured by the cryptic nature of its archaic vocabulary. Using the “Ten Commandments” as an illustrative portal, Hilton Bik explains how the West fundamentally misunderstands the Holy Word emanating from the East. Drawing upon an illustrious array of contemporary scholarship he demonstrates how traditional biblical commentary is chronically jeopardized by entrenched presuppositions that preclude an accurate interpretation of the exotic narrative. This unbiased, historically based analysis of the ancient manuscript yields some startling discoveries—insights that test the very foundational ideas of both Judaism and Christianity and question the commonly accepted nexus between the Decalogue and civil society.

Canadian Philosophical Reviews

Canadian Philosophical Reviews PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 634

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Book Description


Playing God?

Playing God? PDF Author: Ted Peters
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136724214
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 279

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Book Description
Since the original publication of Playing God? in 1996, three developments in genetic technology have moved to the center of the public conversation about the ethics of human bioengineering. Cloning, the completion of the human genome project, and, most recently, the controversy over stem cell research have all sparked lively debates among religious thinkers and the makers of public policy. In this updated edition, Ted Peters illuminates the key issues in these debates and continues to make deft connections between our questions about God and our efforts to manage technological innovations with wisdom.