Is the history of life a series of accidents or a drama scripted by selfish genes? Is there an "essential"
human nature, determined at birth or in a distant evolutionary past? What should we conserve--species, ecosystems,
or something else?
Informed answers to questions like these, critical to our understanding of ourselves and the world around us,
require both a knowledge of biology and a philosophical framework within which to make sense of its findings. In
this accessible introduction to philosophy of biology, Kim Sterelny and Paul E. Griffiths present both the science
and the philosophical context necessary for a critical understanding of the most exciting debates shaping biology
today. The authors, both of whom have published extensively in this field, describe the range of competing views--including
their own--on these fascinating topics.
With its clear explanations of both biological and philosophical concepts, Sex and Death will appeal
not only to undergraduates, but also to the many general readers eager to think critically about the science of
life.