A remarkably clear, straightforward, and brief (211-page)
discussion, from a Univ. of Alabama philosophy professor, of the
implications of Darwinism for animal rights. Most of Rachels' book
is a review of Darwin's work and of the responses and relevant
ideas of biologists, philosophers, and others - both Darwin's
contemporaries who rejected his theories for their assault on
religion and human dignity, and other thinkers who have argued that
humanity's creation in the image of God or, later, human speech,
intellect, and/or moral sense make human specialness compatible
with evolution. Rachels then puts forth his own argument for "moral
individualism," based on his belief that evolution precludes the
concept of human specialness and forces a reconsideration of our
treatment of animals. In the end, he restores a sort of relativist
respect for human claims in his distinction between "biological"
and "biographical" life, but this same distinction supports his
assertion that a rhesus monkey might have a higher claim to
consideration than a severely brain-damaged human. But such a
summary ignores the specific topics of debate, as well as the
arguments of philosophers from Kant to sociobiologists and
animal-rights advocates, that Rachels characterizes so neatly and
accessibly - and that, along with his own provocative argument,
should earn the book serious attention. (Kirkus Reviews)
Western philosophy and religion, James Rachels argues, have been shaken by the implications of Darwin's work, most notably the controversial idea that humans are simply a more complex kind of animal. Here, Rachels assesses a number of studies that suggest how closely humans are linked to other primates in behavior, and then goes on to show how this idea undercuts the work of many prominent philosophers.
Created from Animals offers a provocative look at how Darwinian evolution undermines many tenets of traditional philosophy and religion. Rachels begins by examining Darwin's own life and work, presenting an astonishingly vivid and compressed biography. We see Darwin's studies of the psychological links in evolution (such as emotions in dogs, and the "mental powers" of worms), and how he addressed the moral implications of his work, especially in his concern for the welfare of animals. Rachels goes on to present a lively and accessible survey of the controversies that followed in Darwin's wake, ranging from Herbert Spencer's Social Darwinism to Edward O. Wilson's sociobiology, and discusses how the work of such influential intellects as Descartes, Hume, Kant, T.H. Huxley, Henri Bergson, B.F. Skinner, and Stephen Jay Gould has contributed to--or been overthrown by--evolutionary science.
With this sweeping survey of the arguments, the philosophers, and the deep implications surrounding Darwinism, Rachels lays the foundations for a new view of morality. Virbrantly written and provocatively argued, Created from Animals offers a new perspective on issues ranging from suicide to euthanasia to animal rights.
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