Genes, Genesis, and God: Values and their Origins in Natural and Human History

by Holmes Rolston

• ISBN13: 9780521641081
• ISBN10: 052164108X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-02-13
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Holmes Rolston challenges the sociobiological orthodoxy that would naturalize science, ethics, and religion. The book argues that genetic processes are not blind, selfish, and contingent, and that nature is therefore not value-free. The author examines the emergence of complex biodiversity through evolutionary history. Especially remarkable in this narrative is the genesis of human beings with their capacities for science, ethics, and religion. A major conceptual task of the book is to relate cultural genesis to natural genesis. There is also a general account of how values are created and transmitted in both natural and human cultural history. The book is thoroughly up-to-date on current biological thought and is written by one of the most well-respected figures in the philosophy of biology and religion.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Chapter 1. Genetic Values: Diversity and Complexity in Natural History	1	(53)
1. Natural History: Diversity and Complexity	1	(14)
2. Contingent Natural History?	15	(8)
3. Searching Genes	23	(3)
4. Smart Genes	26	(8)
5. Genetic Algorithms	34	(4)
6. Intrinsic and Inclusive Genetic Values	38	(8)
7. Distributed and Shared Genetic Values	46	(4)
8. Storied Natural History	50	(4)
Chapter 2. Genetic Identity: Conserved and Integrated Values	54	(54)
1. Genetic Identity	55	(15)
(1) Material Identity	55	(1)
(2) Somatic Identity	56	(1)
(3) Kinship Identity	57	(3)
(4) Species Identity	60	(2)
(5) Genetic Type Identity	62	(3)
(6) Genetic Symbiotic Identity	65	(1)
(7) Genetic Identity in Ecosystems	66	(2)
(8) Genetic Cybernetic Identity	68	(2)
2. Genes in Organisms	70	(16)
(1) Integrated Organisms Versus Selfish Genes	70	(11)
(2) Self-Actualizing Versus Selfish Organisms	81	(5)
3. Organisms in Communities	86	(10)
(1) Organisms in Families: Genes and Their Kin	86	(5)
(2) Organisms in Species Populations: Genes and Their Kind	91	(2)
(3) Organisms in Ecosystems: Genes in Their Places	93	(3)
4. Sexuality, Selfishness, and Community	96	(7)
5. Interspecifically and Intraspecifically Shared Genes	103	(5)
Chapter 3. Culture: Genes and the Genesis of Human Culture	108	(52)
1. Nature and Culture	108	(4)
2. Gene-Mind Coevolution	112	(8)
3. Genetic Determinants in Culture	120	(15)
(1) Epigenetic Rules and Culturgens	124	(6)
(2) A Dual Inheritance System	130	(2)
(3) An Adapted Mind	132	(3)
4. The Evolution of Ideas	135	(5)
5. The Human Genius (Geist)	140	(8)
6. Historical Versus Universal Explanations in Nature and Culture	148	(12)
Chapter 4. Science: Naturalized, Socialized, Evaluated	160	(52)
1. Science: Generating and Selecting Theories	164	(3)
2. Science Naturalized?	167	(15)
(1) Darwinized Science?	168	(2)
(2) Genetic Heredity and Neural Heredity	170	(2)
(3) Randomness and Intentionality	172	(8)
(4) Biological Diversity and Unified Science	180	(2)
3. Science Socialized	182	(7)
(1) Paradigm and Theory in Scientific Communities	182	(3)
(2) The Social Construction of Science	185	(4)
4. The Selective Advantage of Science	189	(11)
(1) Science and Survival	189	(3)
(2) Science and Fertility	192	(6)
(3) Science and Selfishness	198	(2)
5. Progress in Scientific and in Natural History	200	(1)
6. Transcendent Science	201	(4)
7. An Unfolding Story	205	(7)
Chapter 5. Ethics: Naturalized, Socialized, Evaluated	212	(80)
1. Moral Value: Love, Justice, and Respect	213	(14)
(1) The Ethical Challenge	213	(2)
(2) The Domain and Focus of Ethics	215	(3)
(3) Interhuman Ethics	218	(4)
(4) Environmental Ethics	222	(4)
(5) Ideal and Real: Moral Failure	226	(1)
2. Naturalized Ethics? Emergent, Socialized Morality	227	(22)
(1) From Is to Ought: Emergent Morality	227	(5)
(2) Animal Cooperation: Inclusive Fitness and Reciprocal Altruism	232	(4)
(3) Human Reciprocal Altruism	236	(5)
(4) Indirect, Social Altruism	241	(2)
(5) A Naturalized, Socialized Ethics	243	(4)
(6) Universal Altruism	247	(2)
3. Naturalized Ethics? Illusory, Darwinized Morality	249	(31)
(1) Self-Deceived Altruism	252	(4)
(2) Induced and Inflated Altruism	256	(4)
(3) Epiphenomenal Altruism	260	(3)
(4) From Is to Ought: A Dilemma	263	(9)
(5) Altruism and Selfishness Defined and Confused	272	(5)
(6) Analogy and Category Mistakes	277	(3)
4. Evaluating Ethics: Values Defended and Shared	280	(12)
(1) Moral, Valuable, and Evaluating Persons	280	(4)
(2) Amoral, Valuable Nature	284	(3)
(3) Global and Universal Morality	287	(5)
Chapter 6. Religion: Naturalized, Socialized, Evaluated	292	(79)
1. The Divine Epic of Life	294	(14)
(1) The Prolific Earth	296	(2)
(2) Nature and Spirit (Geist)	298	(1)
(3) Nature and Sin	299	(4)
(4) Suffering and Creation	303	(5)
2. Religion and Fertility	308	(7)
3. Religion and Altruism	315	(20)
(1) Religion Generating Altruism	315	(3)
(2) Religion Generating Pseudoaltruism?	318	(2)
(3) Religion Generating Unsuccessful Altruism?	320	(5)
(4) Religion Generating Complementary Altruism	325	(3)
(5) Religion Converting Others	328	(7)
4. Functional and True Religion	335	(12)
(1) Survival Value With and Without Truth	335	(6)
(2) Testing Religions Socially	341	(2)
(3) Testing Religions Cognitively	343	(4)
5. Genesis and God	347	(24)
(1) Actual and Possible Natural History	348	(7)
(2) The Genesis of Information	355	(4)
(3) The Genesis of Value	359	(4)
(4) Detecting the Transcendent	363	(8)
References	371	(16)
Index	387