The Solitary Self

Darwin and the Selfish Gene

Mary Midgley

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Hardback

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English

Routledge
01 February 2016

Humanities

Renowned philosopher Mary Midgley explores the nature of our moral constitution to challenge the view that reduces human motivation to self-interest. Midgley argues cogently and convincingly that simple, one-sided accounts of human motives, such as the 'selfish gene' tendency in recent neo-Darwinian thought, may be illuminating but are always unrealistic. Such neatness, she shows, cannot be imposed on human psychology. She returns to Darwin's original writings to show how the reductive individualism which is now presented as Darwinism does not derive from Darwin but from a wider, Hobbesian tradition in Enlightenment thinking. She reveals the selfish gene hypothesis as a cultural accretion that is just not seen in nature. Heroic independence is not a realistic aim for Homo sapiens. We are, as Darwin saw, earthly organisms, framed to interact constantly with one another and with the complex ecosystems of which we are a tiny part. For us, bonds are not just restraints but also lifelines.

By: Mary Midgley
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 138mm, Spine: 11mm
Weight: 294g
ISBN: 9781138169296
ISBN 10: 1138169293
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 01 February 2016
Audience: College/higher education , General/trade , Primary , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction 1. Pseudo-Darwinism and social atomism 2. The background: egoism from Hobbes to R. D. Laing 3. The natural springs of morality 4. Coming to terms with reason 5. Darwin's new broom 6. The self's strange adventures Conclusion: the wider perspective Bibliography Index

Mary Midgely (1919-2018)was a moral philosopher and the author of many books, most recently The Myths We Live By.