The Solitary Self

In this humane, readable and erudite book, Midgley shows empathy with human conflicts about motives. In the context of higher education, this is precisely the book that could engage students from the humanities and colleagues from the natural sciences in a genuine conversation on human nature. Willem B. Drees, Leiden University, Times Higher Education In many ways, the book is itself a summary. It leaves us with a very short work that highlights the connections between biological, socio-political, and philosophical developments covering several hundred years of history. It emphasizes the importance of a proper understanding of that historical context for contemporary debates, and attempts to both criticize and develop a defensible alternative. It does all of this and still finds space for a number of insightful and provocative asides. In brief, it is a short walk of uncommon breadth, one that challenges even while many of the particular arguments have a familiar ring. Philosophy Review Althought a short book, The Solitary Self is packed with ideas - ranging over political philosophy, philosophical psychology, philosophy of science, and the legacy of Darwin. A central theme of the book is a criticism of the reductionist views in philosophy of science, which Midgley sees as motivating wrongheaded oversimplification. Midgley counters such views, in part, by appealing to what she sees as the richer understanding of animal consciousness found in Darwin. The book is written in an engaging style accessible to readers at all levels. Highly recommended. CHOICE