The Structure of Evolutionary Theory

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The theory of evolution is regarded as one of the greatest glimmerings of understanding humans have ever had. It is an idea of science, not of belief, and therefore undergoes constant scrutiny and testing by argumentative evolutionary biologists. But while Darwinists may disagree on a great many things, they all operate within a (thus far) successful framework of thought first set down in The Origin of Species in 1859.

In The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, a monumental labor of academic love, Stephen Jay Gould attempts to define and revise that framework. Using the clear metaphors and personable style he is so well known for, Gould outlines the foundation of the theory and attempts to use it to show that modern evolutionary biology has lost its way. He then offers his own system for reconciling Darwin's "basic logical commitments" with the critiques of modern scientists.

Gould's massive opus begs a new look at natural selection with the full weight of history behind it. His opponents will find much to criticize, and orthodox, reductionist Darwinists might feel that Gould has given them short shrift. But as an opening monologue for the new century's biological debates, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory sets a mountainous precedent in exhaustive scholarship, careful logic, and sheer reading pleasure. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

The world's most revered and eloquent interpreter of evolutionary ideas offers here a work of explanatory force unprecedented in our time--a landmark publication, both for its historical sweep and for its scientific vision.

With characteristic attention to detail, Stephen Jay Gould first describes the content and discusses the history and origins of the three core commitments of classical Darwinism: that natural selection works on organisms, not genes or species; that it is almost exclusively the mechanism of adaptive evolutionary change; and that these changes are incremental, not drastic. Next, he examines the three critiques that currently challenge this classic Darwinian edifice: that selection operates on multiple levels, from the gene to the group; that evolution proceeds by a variety of mechanisms, not just natural selection; and that causes operating at broader scales, including catastrophes, have figured prominently in the course of evolution.

Then, in a stunning tour de force that will likely stimulate discussion and debate for decades, Gould proposes his own system for integrating these classical commitments and contemporary critiques into a new structure of evolutionary thought.

In 2001 the Library of Congress named Stephen Jay Gould one of America's eighty-three Living Legends--people who embody the "quintessentially American ideal of individual creativity, conviction, dedication, and exuberance." Each of these qualities finds full expression in this peerless work, the likes of which the scientific world has not seen--and may not see again--for well over a century.

Customer Reviews:

A life's work.......2007-03-15

An excellent academic book that covers Gould's life work in detail. It will (or should) become a standard reference for postgraduate students of biological evolution. It is not easy reading but is helped by an excellent table of contents; it summarises the main arguement of the book. My only critisism is that it seems to neglect the work of Simon and Salthe, both of whom have made significant contributions to a heirarchical (multi-level) theory of evolution.

Gould Unplugged.......2006-02-25

This book (Gould's last) is a behemoth. With over 1400 pages, it becomes a physically taxing task to read it. This task is not lessened by the verbiage (and verbosity) that exemplify Gould's style. That being said, this book emcompasses such marvelous theoretical views and includes such a thorough history of evolutionary ideas, that it would be a shame to allow its size and density to prevent you from reading it. Gould spent his entire life pondering the big questions of evolutionary thought, and his ponderings are here revealed with significant insight into the roots of the questions themselves. It is an endeavor to read (as it was a lifetime to write), but the rewards of such an endeavor are innumerable and priceless.

Omits Evolution's astounding feat of social insects.......2006-01-01

In the weeks I spent poring over this landmark volume I don't recall any explanation of the social insects which have been heavily researched by others in recent years. Societies occur among very few vertebrates and the insects, the world's champs in mimicry including behavior mimicry, a possible clue.

Gould's last work sets the standard for the 21st century.......2005-02-23

Anything and everything by Gould is worth reading. He was aware that he was dying as he finished this book, and it bears the marks of an attempt to cram a lifetime of study and thought into one work. One feels that had he lived longer, the book would have been shorter. The extensive coverage of nearly forgotten figures who represent many examples of one type of opinion is not really necessary to make his points. The reader who is not a specialist will want to do a bit of skimming.

But the length is a minor flaw. The book is an attempt to make all of his conclusions available to both the lay reader and his colleagues. Fundamentalists will read it as a critique of Darwinism; it's not. It represents an extension of Darwin to take into account all that the 20th century revealed about genetics, extinction, cladistics, emergent properties, and astronomical catastrophes. Hopefully it will stand as a monument to empiricism in the face of the new Dark Age that some see coming -- a time when we will forget not only what we knew, bu that we ever knew it.

Needs a sympathetic rewrite or at least an editor.......2005-01-24

I do not recommend you read this book unless you are an academic in the field and need to do so. Although I am unsympathetic with many of the ideas in it, the primary reason for my low rating is that the book was overlong and poorly written where it matters.

I'll start with what I liked about the book. The first chapters were on the history of evolutionary theory, and it is here where Gould's principal strength as a popularizer comes through well. Although these chapters could have been more concise, and they were oriented towards backing Gould's ideas, I enjoyed them for the most part. The last chapters in the modern theory section on the importance of constraint were interesting, though they suffered heavily from Gould's style of discourse. I found the last pages of the book on the importance of contingency to be quite beautiful.

The bulk of the book consisted of the material on punctuated equilibrium and Gould's hierarchy of Darwinian individuals. I had issues with the ideas themselves, but these are a distant second to what I felt about Gould's notion of an argument. Evolutionary biology is not a branch of philosophy and textual analysis should not, as Gould claims, "be pursued more often in scientific discussion." They are not done so, according to him, because of the "philistinistic culture of science." Molecular biology and mathematics are vital components of evolutionary biology, as much and perhaps more so than the incomplete fossil record. Gould gave lip service to molecular biology and much less respect to the now venerable and important discipline of population genetics - except of course when the results from these fields backed up his narrative.

Gould's use of lawyerly argument, where verdict is truth, is the reason why he is rightfully disdained for opening the door to creation "science" in the debate on teaching evolution in schools. By stripping away hard science, and replacing it with metaphors, cartoons, and narratives, Gould took a rigorous theory, based firmly on empirical and deductive facts, and replaced it with a secular creation myth that is open to attack. Although this has made him the darling of what he calls the "literati", it is also what made him a bad scientist. The fact that he addressed modern Darwinism tangentially, chose instead to focus on Darwin's and others Victorian era writings, and rejected ideas because they didn't "feel right," didn't improve his standing with me.

Gould's writing when it came to the science under debate was a nightmare. Intentionally or not, he constructed a complex hierarchy of nested, irrelevant tangents; tangents that were fragments within sentences, which were then tangents within paragraphs, which were in turn tangents within sections, ad nauseam. One of the most frustrating aspects of the book was that he refused to give a clear definition of what he meant by "punctuated equilibrium" until pg 1001: "We locate any revisionary status for punctuated equilibrium in its suggestions about the nature of stasis, and particularly its implications for attributing macroevolutionary phenomena to causes operating on the differential success of species treated as Darwinian individuals. Ordinary speciation remains fully adequate to explain the causes and phenomenology of punctuation." Others, such as Richard Dawkins, have done much on addressing this definition of punctuated equilibrium. My comment here is that it took so long to come to it, and up until this point Gould hinted at saltationist underpinnings to punctuated equilibrium, only to later decry and impugn the integrity of his critics for criticizing these alternative definitions.

My main intellectual criticism was of Gould's hierarchy of Darwinian individuals. I thought this was fine as a phenomenological tool to describe macroevolutionary events, but Gould inverted cause and phenomena to claim that species selection is irreducible to gene or organism selection. His reason why? "Nonlinearities." Along with not knowing what the word "fractal" means, which he used quite a bit to mean either "self-similar" or "scales up", Gould thought "nonlinear" meant "hopelessly complex." His style of argument? Keep repeating the word irreducible until the reader breaks down. Gould was snidely dismissive towards the results of population genetics, but only addressed them directly in a (relatively) brief two page discussion where he claimed that they had to be invalid because population genetics models were able to explain both punctuated equilibrium (stasis followed by rapid change) and his cartoon notion of Victorian gradualism. Since Gould himself was clear that both are evident in the fossil record, it is strength, not a weakness, of a modeling system to be able to explain both.

Although the ideas in the book did not all resonate with me, I would have recommended it if it was more clear and much, much more concise, since the ideas in it are an important part of the current discussion on evolutionary theory. But because of the poor writing in the important scientific parts of the book, and Gould's often unprofessional comments towards critics, I don't think this behemoth of a tome is worth your time.

Individual Strategy and Social Structure: An Evolutionary Theory of Institutions

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only one word: excellent!

Individual Strategy and Social Structure: An Evolutionary Theory of Institutions
H. Peyton Young
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691086877

Book Description

Neoclassical economics as-sumes that people are highly rational and can reason their way through even the most complex economic problems. In Individual Strategy and Social Structure, Peyton Young argues for a more realistic view in which people have a limited understanding of their environment, are sometimes short-sighted, and occasionally act in perverse ways. He shows how the cumulative experiences of many such individuals coalesce over time into customs, norms, and institutions that govern economic and social life. He develops a theory that predicts how such institutions evolve and characterizes their welfare properties.

The ideas are illustrated through a variety of examples, including patterns of residential segregation, rules of the road, claims on property, forms of economic contracts, and norms of equity. The book relies on new results in evolutionary game theory and stochastic dynamical systems theory, many of them originated by the author. It can serve as an introductory text, or be read on its own as a contribution to the study of economic and social institutions.

Customer Reviews:

only one word: excellent!.......1999-08-03

A wonderful survey of the author's contributions to evolutionary games and their implications for institutional changes. The reader will learn from this book how random perturbation theory of Freidlin and Wentzell is applied to such an increasingly important field in both game theory and macroeconomics. I like chapter 6 "Local Interaction" the most and, of course, the other chapters are also great!

Evolutionary Architecture: Nature as a Basis for Design

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Brilliant, insightful, inspiring.
A great book by an architect destined to become renown
Amazing Revolutionary ideas behind architecture

Evolutionary Architecture: Nature as a Basis for Design
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Manufacturer: Wiley
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About Eugene Tsui and evolutionary architecture . "Eugene Tsui is a polymath, a kind of genius.. His evolutionary ideas fit my image of a desirable, feasible future. The 21st century needs ideas like his that conserve space, energy, and materials without offending aesthetics." -Dr. Richard MeierProfessor of Architecture, Planning, and Environmental Design University of California, Berkeley "[Tsui's] drawings, models, and buildings look like buildings from a Spielberg film, circa 3000.. Eugene Tsui's designs defy the imagination. He is bringing a different view to architecture." -Rocky Leplin The Associated Press "Welcome to the evolutionary architecture of Eugene Tsui.a place where everything is possible, and the mind is constantly being tested and stimulated to open and explore yet another new opportunity.. Tsui's philosophy of architectural design goes against practically everything people have come to know about architecture." -Beverly R. Picache Asian Week Newspaper

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant, insightful, inspiring........1999-08-27

Eugene Tsui has added another gospel to his bible for evolutionary architecture. What can't be captured in merely addressing his architecture is the clarity, force and intelligence of his writing. In addition to being one of the few architects who can write coherently, Eugene Tsui has a unique, compelling presence felt throughout the book. When finished, I felt braced, urged on and encouraged in my own life pursuits. This book is worth every cent of its price, and is priceless for its spiritual value.

A great book by an architect destined to become renown.......1999-07-08

Eugen Tsui is a visionary who sees in the natural world forms and functions that can be used by man in his created environments to the benefit of mind, spirit, ecology and wallet. Innovative and unorthodox building methods and materials; making the most of the vast sea of unapplied knowledge overlooked by most architects is his specialty. Tsui ia a genius who is unlikely to be fully appreciated by his own era. In this book Tsui explains his ideology and presents visuals to stun the mind out of its "stick-built" suburban tract house rut.

Amazing Revolutionary ideas behind architecture.......1999-05-20

This book is a must have for anyone interested in reinventing their view of how humans can build and design. Includes a detailed analysis of Eugene Tsui's Philosophy of studying nature to help us architect our environments and housing. Showing many re-world examples in nature where animals and creatures create amazingly responsive architecture. The book then takes these principles and shows how this can be translated into helping architects become more innovative both aesthetically and technically. Eugene trancends the typical and primarily aesthetic ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright and other "Organic Architects" showing how nature can help guide us to build more ecologically advanced architecture that is more responsive to the new millinium.

The Evolution of Institutional Economics (Economics As Social Theory)

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Darwin and the Economy

The Evolution of Institutional Economics (Economics As Social Theory)
G. Hodgson
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ASIN: 0415322537

Book Description

The story of American Institutional Economics, from its foundations through its supremacy and subsequent decline is an extremely interesting one. Today with the return of Darwinian ideas to social sciences, changes in psychology and a revival of pragmatist philosophy, the intellectual conditions for a revival and reconstruction of American Institutionalism are arguably in place.

Few are better qualified to provide an authoritative, wide-ranging account of the rise, fall and potential rebirth of institutional economics than Geoffrey Hodgson. This well-written comprehensive study offers an interpretation of Veblen and American Institutionalism that places Darwinism at the center. In this and other aspects, it challenges prevailing accounts of the nature and potential of American Institutionalism.

The author's position as one of the most important economists in the world is becoming cemented by his marvelous history of important books. This book will only add to his status. The book will be read and re-read by academics and students economics, philosophy and sociology.

Customer Reviews:

Darwin and the Economy.......2005-03-23

Darwin's influence in the social sciences is growing, and at the same time, it is often resisted. Economics and economists though (taken as a whole) haven't had a lot to say about Darwin or Darwinism. Institutional Economics however (both new and original) tries to analyze how economies change over time. It seems only natural therefore that economists should consider Darwin and Darwin's ideas. Geoffrey Hodgson writes well about the potential importance of Darwin and Darwinism for economics and also how Darwin relates to a lot of other new developments in the social sciences. He approaches these issues primarily by examining the development of original Institutional Economics as formulated by Thorstein Veblen.

Professor Hodgson devotes several chapters to some complex issues in philosopy of science. I enjoyed his treatment of concepts such as emergentism, reductionism and realism. I especially enjoyed his treatment of structure-agency theory, a concept that has gotten a lot of attention in sociology, but little (unfortunately) in economics.

Based on this discussion he proceeds to analyze the growth and demise of Veblenian thought. He analyzes Darwin's influence on Veblen and the relationship of Veblenian theory to habit instinct theory and philosophical pragmatism. Hodgson argues that Veblenians have Darwinian roots-a point that some original Institutional Economists would argue against. Personally, I agree with Hodgson but his assertions are bound to provoke some controversy (which is a good thing).

Hodgson argues that we (economists) should rethink the discipline and re-form it. We should use Veblen and Darwin as foundations. Bud Hodgson is not a Sociobiologist and he is not trying to biologize economics. He views culture as emergent and recognizes you cannot translate biological evolutionary models wholesale to economic evolution.

I recently heard a well known biologist state that Charlie Darwin was "Wall Street's kind of guy." I cringed when I heard this since it conjured up images of Darwinism providing biological cover for capitalism. Hodgson is no idealogue of the right or the left and eschews imposing politics on science, including the social sciences. But he definitely shows how Darwinism has influenced one of the most politically progressive thinkers in American history-Thorstein Veblen.

His views are extremely relevant. New Institutional Economists often ignore Veblen's contributions. Economics as a whole still tries to ape physics and there is much confusion among economists about what science is and is not.

My only criticism of Hodgson's book is probably unfair. His goal is to analyze the Veblenian tradition. So it is no surprise that he does not discuss other traditions in the original Institutional Economics such as Karl Polanyi's. Nor does he discuss the various evolutionary schools in economic anthropology. A discussion of these issues would have been of some interest to me. But then agaain, as I said, this is probably an unfair criticism of Hodgson given his stated goal of the book: to reexamine Veblen's contribution to economic thought and the relationship of Veblen to Darwin.

Taken as a whole I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I recommend it to any economist willing to look beyond constrained optimization problems. It will also interest (or should interest) anthropologists, sociologists, political scientists, or anyone interested in philosophical foundations of the social sciences and the relationship of the social sciences to Darwin and Darwinism.

Economic Institutions and Complexity: Structures, Interactions, and Emergent Properties (New Horizons in Institutional and Evolutionary Economics Series)

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Economic Institutions and Complexity: Structures, Interactions, and Emergent Properties (New Horizons in Institutional and Evolutionary Economics Series)
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This book presents a concept of interactive economic institutions and systems, considered by the author to be a bottleneck to scientific progress.

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Hoy establishes a basis for a naturalistic political theory that can be sustained as a continuity from Aristotle through the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment contributions of David Hume, John Dewey, Evolutionary Biology, and Deep Ecology. This entails several contentions. First he argues that the contemporary relevance of Aristotelian naturalism can be defended within the context of a pragmatic realism without recourse to a no-longer-tenable metaphysical biology. Second, he calls for an emphasis on a "historicized nature"--the human capacities for language, sociality, and habituation that are the product of biological-cultural interaction in human evolution. Third, Hoy contends that, while humans are perceived as the apex of other forms of life, a compassionate relation of humans to non-human nature is a logical extension of human community and moral obligation. His final contention is that an integrative framework for a naturalistic political theory can be formulated within the theoretical categories contributed by John Dewey. Scholars and students of political theory, philosophy, evolutionary biology, and deep ecology in particular will find this study of interest.

Conventions and Structures in Economic Organization: Markets, Networks and Organizations (New Horizons in Institutional and Evolutionary Economics Series)

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Conventions and Structures in Economic Organization: Markets, Networks and Organizations (New Horizons in Institutional and Evolutionary Economics Series)

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For individual actors involved in economic activities (i.e. production, exchanges), conventions and structures represent two different types of opportunity or constraint. Conventions refer to values, rules and representations that influence economic behavior. Structures refer to patterns of resource interdependencies existing among members of any social system.

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In this book leading scholars explore the historical evolution of world systems through examining the ebb and flow of great powers over time, advancing understanding of the regularities in the dynamics of empire and the expansion of political, social and economic interaction networks, from the Bronze Age forward. The authors analyze the expansion and contraction of cross-cultural trade networks and systems of competing and allying political groupings. In premodern times, these ranged from small local trading networks (even the very small ones of hunting-gathering peoples) to the vast Mongol world-system. Within such systems, there is usually one, or a very few, hegemonic powers. How they achieve dominance and how transitions lead to systems change are important topics, particularly at a time when the United States' position is in flux. The chapters in this book review several recent approaches and present a wealth of new findings.

Innovation, Welfare and Industrial Structure: An Evolutionary Analysis

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Give it up for the author!

Innovation, Welfare and Industrial Structure: An Evolutionary Analysis
Timothy M. Wakeley
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Customer Reviews:

Give it up for the author!.......2003-07-02

dis book is massive. me am truly pleased to ave stolun it from me local corna shop. me was goin to give it to me Julie, but me ended up givin ha somethin else.

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