Darwin's Dangerous Idea
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Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life is a 1995 book by the philosopher Daniel Dennett, in which the author looks at some of the repercussions of Darwinian theory. The crux of th
Cover of the first edition
Darwin's Dangerous Idea makes extensive use of cranes as an analogy.
The frontispiece to Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, which appears at the beginning of chapter 16 "On the Origin of Morality".
Von Kempelen's chess automaton, discussed in chapter 15.
Stephen Jay Gould
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Stephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, historian of science, and one of the most widely read authors of popular science of his generation. Gould spent most of his ca
Darwin's Dangerous Idea
…biology and engineering. Related to the engineering concept of optimization, the next chapter deals with adaptationism, which Dennett endorses, calling Gould and Lewontin's "refutation" of it an illusion. Dennett thinks adaptationism is, in fact, the best way of uncovering constraints. The tenth chapter…
Gould's inspiration to become a paleontologist: T. rex specimen AMNH 5027, American Museum of Natural History, New York City
A spandrel from the Holy Trinity Church in Fulnek, Czech Republic
Cerion shells from San Salvador Island, the Bahamas
Cover of the first edition of The Mismeasure of Man