Books that show the relevance of Darwinian Evolutionary Theory for contemporary social problems

by Michael Ruse
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5 books
I am a philosopher of science, much influenced by Thomas Kuhn’s exhortation in his Structure of Scientific Revolutions that to do good philosophy of science one needs a solid background in the history of science. Starting with my The Darwinian Revolution: Science Red in Tooth and Claw (1979), I have written extensively on evolutionary theory and Darwin’s contribution. In the past decade, I have turned to exploring the implications of Darwin’s thinking for social problems today, including violence (war and prejudice), the status of women, sexual orientation, and antisemitism. These books, quite dissimilar, have aided me in my quest.
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War, Peace, and Human Nature

The Convergence of Evolutionary and Cultural Views
Douglas P. Fry, 2015
A collection of articles discussing the Darwinian reasons for war. Th starting point is that social Darwinism, thinking we are all killer apes, is quite wrong. Humans have evolved as social beings and the puzzle is why we are violent. The suggestion is that the coming of agriculture may have been a trigger.

From Eve to Evolution

Darwin, Science, and Women's Rights in Gilded Age America
Kimberly A. Hamlin, 2014
With some reason, Darwin’s thinking about women is usually taken to be grotesquely sexist. The book takes a very different approach, showing how late nineteenth-century feminists used Darwin’s thinking to advance their agenda. There are fascinating implications and directives for today.

Two Tales of the Death of God

2024
Stephen LeDrew is a Canadian sociologist who argues that the rise of non-belief personified by the New Atheism is mistakenly attributed to the development of science since the time of the Enlightenment. LeDrew argues that the general improvement of life and wellbeing is a much more plausible causal factor.

Nazi Germany and the Jews

Volume 1: The Years of Persecution 1933-1939
Saul Friedlander, 1998
Read these books before you make anymore judgments about the Middle East

The Years of Extermination

Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945
Saul Friedlander, 2009
Read these books before you make anymore judgments about the Middle East