Why read Sex and Death?

Book cover of Sex and Death: An Introduction to Philosophy of Biology

Book description

Is the history of life a series of accidents or a drama scripted by selfish genes? Is there an "essential" human nature, determined at birth or in a distant evolutionary past? What should we conserve-species, ecosystems, or something else?

Informed answers to questions like these, critical to our understanding of…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Sex and Death as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Samir Okasha

Author

This book is an engaging treatment of philosophical issues in biology, with a strong though not exclusive focus on evolution. Written by two leading practitioners, the book continues to be an excellent entry point into the subject despite being more than 20 years old. For any reader of my own book who wants more detail, Sterelny and Griffiths’ text is ideal. Chock full of real-life examples, the book offers an excellent model of how philosophy can engage with biology. Topics discussed include function and adaptation, reductionism, levels of selection, the “selfish gene” theory, and more.

From Samir's list on the philosophy of evolution.