Defenders of the Truth: The Sociobiology Debate

Defenders of the Truth: The Sociobiology Debate

1 available / secondhand
R230.00
Shipping
R35.00 Standard shipping using one of our trusted couriers applies to most areas in South Africa. Some areas may attract a R30.00 surcharge. This will be calculated at checkout if applicable.
Check my rate
The seller allows collection for this item. Buyers will receive the collection address and time once the order is ready.
The seller has indicated that they will usually have this item ready to ship within 3 business days. Shipping time depends on your delivery address. The most accurate delivery time will be calculated at checkout, but in general, the following shipping times apply:
 
Standard Delivery
Main centres:  1-3 business days
Regional areas: 3-4 business days
Remote areas: 3-5 business days
Seller
Buyer protection
Get it now, pay later

Product details

Condition
Secondhand
Location
South Africa
Product code
Id-5028776
Bob Shop ID
644144318

When Edward O. Wilson published Sociobiology, it generated a firestorm of criticism, mostly focused on the book's final chapter, in which Wilson applied lessons learned from animal behavior to human society. In Defenders of the Truth, Ullica Segerstrale takes a hard look at the sociobiology controversy, sorting through a hornet's nest of claims and counterclaims, moral concerns, metaphysical beliefs, political convictions, strawmen, red herrings, and much juicy gossip. The result is a fascinating look at the world of modern science.


Segerstrale has interviewed all the major participants, including such eminent scientists as Stephen Jay Gould, Richard C. Lewontin, Richard Dawkins, John Maynard Smith, Nobel Laureates Peter Medawar and Salvador Luria, and of course Edward Wilson. She reveals that most of the criticism of Wilson was unfair, but argues that it was not politically motivated. Instead, she sees the conflict over sociobiology as a drawn-out battle about the nature of "good science" and the social responsibility of the scientist. Behind the often nasty attacks were the very different approaches to science taken by naturalists (such as Wilson) and experimentalists (such as Lewontin), between the "planters" and the "weeders." The protagonists were all defenders of the truth, Segerstrale concludes, it was just that everyone's truth was different.


Defenders of the Truth touches on grand themes such as the unity of knowledge, human nature, and free will and determinism, and it shows how the sociobiology controversy can shed light on the more recent debates over the Human Genome Project and The Bell Curve. It will appeal to all readers of Edward O. Wilson or Stephen Jay Gould and all those who enjoy a behind-the-scenes peek at modern science.

Paperback. English. Oxford University Press. 2001. Good Condition.

Add to cart

Recently viewed

Kelly Family - Growin` Up CD Import
R160.00

Similar products

Debates in Art and Design Education - ADDISON
R386.00
Defending Jacob
R115.00
29% OFF
The Scorpion - The Mask Of Truth
R159.00 R225.00
Spearheading Debate Culture Wars & Uneasy Truces Steven C. Dubin
R85.00