- Paperback: 402 pages
- Publisher: Monthly Review Press,U.S. (15 July 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1583671579
- ISBN-13: 978-1583671573
- Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.3 x 2.6 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 572,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
How do we understand the world? While some look to the heavens for intelligent design, others argue that it is determined by information encoded in DNA. Science serves as an important activity for uncovering the processes and operations of nature, but it is also immersed in a social context where ideology influences the questions we ask and how we approach the material world. Biology Under the Influence breaks from the confines of determinism, offering a dialectical analysis for comprehending a dynamic social and natural world. In Biology Under the Influence, Richard Lewontin and Richard Levins provide a devastating critique of genetic determinism and reductionism within science while exploring a broad range of issues including the nature of science, biology, evolution, the environment, public health, and dialectics. They dismantle the ideology that attempts to naturalize social inequalities, unveil the alienation of science and nature, and illustrate how a dialectical position serves as a basis for grappling with historical developments and a world characterized by change. Biology Under the Influence brings together the illuminating essays of two prominent scientists who work to demystify and empower the public's understanding of science and nature.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
biology under the influence, 30 May 2008
By stanley aronowitz - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Biology Under the Influence: Dialectical Essays on the Coevolution of Nature and Society (Paperback)
this is a collection of essays by two of America's leading biologists. It is generally written for the general public, although some of the essays are a bit more technical. On the whole, Lewontin and Levins succeed in providing a comprehensive picture of some of the leading debates in the field, notably, the relevance of molecular biology and evolutionary thought for issues such as education and other aspects of social policy. Highly recommended.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book., 22 Aug 2009
By A. Libson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Biology Under the Influence: Dialectical Essays on the Coevolution of Nature and Society (Paperback)
Any one interested in science or who teaches science should get this book. It's a wonderful collection of essays on genetics, evolution and natural science seen through the lens of Marxist dialectics and materialism. Every essay has an original point of view and whether you agree with everything the authors say or not, each essay will make you think more deeply about science and its role in society today.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dialectics versus Systems Theory, 5 Sep 2011
By Prem - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Biology Under the Influence: Dialectical Essays on the Coevolution of Nature and Society (Paperback)
I found the book very interesting and stimulating. I had read their earlier book `Dialectical Biologist' published in 1985 and was influenced by their logic of holism against reductionism particularly the genetic determinism. In fact I was inspired by this book to write on a dialectical approach to Indian agriculture (Need for a dialectical approach in agricultural research for sustainable growth: Current Science, Vol. 83 (25), 690-693, Sept. 2002).
The present book on dialectical essays on ecology, agriculture and health has been extended to clarify that dialectics is different from systems theory in that the former looks at the total process including social aspects in complex systems whereas the latter attempts to deal with complexity, nonlinearity, and change through sophisticated mathematical and computational techniques. For instance, a systems analysis of the regulation of blood sugar may include the interactions among sugar itself, insulin, adrenaline, cortisol, and other molecules but is not likely to include anxiety as a factor. A larger system including anxiety and social factors affecting it can reverse the expected effects of a pathway studied in the usual systems approach. The book, divided into three parts, attempts, in general, to apply the insights of dialectical materialism that emphasizes the wholeness, connectedness, historical contingency, the interaction of the levels of analysis and the dynamic nature of things as snapshots to processes. Interesting topics cover a wide range from Human Genome Project to psychological issues in Cuban agriculture. It is a major attempt to impact the public understanding of science and nature and is therefore worth reading by scientists and laymen alike.
I strongly recommend the book for reading and study by one and all.
P. Narain
E-mail: narainprem@hotmail.com
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