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ISBN 0-8126-9632-8
ISBN-13 978-0-8126-9632-5

$29.95 $20.97
paper

288 pages

(Spring 08)

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Commonsense Darwinism

Evolution, Morality, and the Human Condition

John Lemos

Turns out Darwin's idea isn't so dangerous. Commonsense Darwinism is a critical examination of philosophical implications of evolutionary biology. It is grounded on the assumption that the diversity of life, including human beings, are the products of evolution from common origins and that the primary driving force of evolution is the mechanism of natural selection. From this starting point, the book goes on to explore what this might mean for issues in ethics, philosophy of religion, epistemology, and metaphysics.

Roughly half of the book is devoted to ethical theory. It tackles the tough issue of how ethical objectivism can be preserved in the face of a sociobiological account of morality.

The later chapters of the book examine some fundamental issues concerning human nature. In particular, the author considers the implications evolutionary biology has for human motivation and freedom of the will. Lemos defends a libertarian account of free will and argues that it is consistent with the facts of evolutionary biology.

Commonsense Darwinism makes a wonderful introduction to the field of philosophical Darwinism, due to its large scope and its down-to-earth treatment of other philosophers who have written about evolution. Lemos stakes out positions on the major issues, offering readers something new.

John Lemos is an associate professor of philosophy at Coe College. He received is PhD from Duke University. His articles have appeared in many philosophy journals, including Zygon.