Biology and Freedom
An Essay on the Implications of Human Ethology

Combining the findings of biology with logic and humour, this 1989 book gives a lucid portrait of human nature.

S. A. Barnett (Author)

9780521018203, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 22 August 2005

396 pages
24.4 x 16.9 x 2.2 cm, 0.634 kg

"The book are a whole is an eloquent plea for the humanness and humaness of human beings. It is accessible to the general reader and enjoyable for its gracefulness of style and liberal use of literary and historical references."--Bioscience

Biology and Freedom, first published in 1989, is an essay on human nature: an attempt to make a just assessment of a species often presented as predominantly and unavoidably violent, grasping, selfish and stupid. Likening human beings to animals is a traditional method of influencing attitudes on morals and politics. But in this book Professor Barnett shows that modern ethology, experimental psychology, genetics and evolutionary theory give the now fashionable misanthropy no authentic support. In doing so he asks whether the theory of evolution has any bearing on Machiavellianism in politics or the concept of original sin; and whether laboratory experiments on the effects of reward and punishment tell us anything about the enigma of free will. Combining the findings of biology with logic and humour, Professor Barnett gives a lucid alternative portrait of humanity in which he stresses the questions that the complexities of human existence will raise long after current myths have faded. This book is for all interested in human nature and the future of human society.

List of illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I. An Introduction: 1. Four portraits
2. The pessimistic tradition
3. Animals and analogy
Part II. Homo Pugnax: The Violent Species: 4. Communication and instinct
5. The aggression labyrinth
Part III. Homo Egoisticus: The Selfish Species: 6. Evolution and natural selection
7. Environment and heredity
8. Stories of human evolution
9. Darwinism, genetics and politics
Part IV. Homo Operans: The Greedy Species: 10. Conditioning and improvisation
11. Work and play
Part V. Homo Sapiens: The Human Species: 12. The reductionist imperative
13. Human communication
14. Teaching and tradition
15. The question
Glossary
Notes
References
Name index
Subject index.

Subject Areas: Animal behaviour [PSVP], Cognition & cognitive psychology [JMR]