Description
Book SynopsisDiscusses a contentious 19th-century debate about apes, humans, and competing theories of evolution
Trade ReviewOwen's Ape and Darwin's Bulldog sheds new light on one of the most celebrated episodes in the history of evolutionary biology. Cosans's careful analysis draws on history, philosophy, and even his own dissections, to reveal a complexity hitherto underestimated.
-- Frederick R. Davis * QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY *
Owen's Ape and Darwin's Bulldog introduces a brilliant, new and insightful perspective into the philosophy behind Richard Owen's methods and reasoning. 2010
* Evo Edu Outreach *
In conclusion, the reviewer recommends this book strongly for all specialists and students, including palaeontologists and palaeoanthropologists. 11, 5/6, 2009
* Zentralblatt fur Geologie und Palaontologie *
Cosans's analysis is thought-provoking and informative, exemplifying an overall point that has been increasingly accepted: a scientist's interpretation of what s/he observes is best understood within its historic context. Vol. 66, 2010
* Journal of Anthropological Research *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: On the Origin of the Darwin Wars
Analytic Table of Contents
1. The Parable of the Hippopotamus Major
2. Philosophical Anatomy and the Human Soul
3. Evolution and the Discovery of the Gorilla
4. Does the Brain Distinguish Human from Beast?
5. Economics and Values on the Eve of the Origin
6. The Values and Metaphysics of Darwin's Origin
7. Why Owen Rejected Darwin's Analysis
8. Huxley's Hippocampus Counter-Attack
9. The Dissection of a Metaphysical Dispute
10. Ethics, Experience, and Truth
Appendix 1. Excerpt from Owen's 1851 Article on Ape and Human Brain Size
Appendix 2. The Concluding Pages of Owen's Anatomy of Vertebrates (1868) on Evolution, the Origins of Life, Metaphysics, and Theology
Bibliography
Index
