From Darwin to Derrida
Selfish Genes, Social Selves, and the Meanings of Life
$62.88
- Paperback
512 pages
- Release Date
11 March 2026
Summary
In From Darwin to Derrida, evolutionary biologist David Haig explains how a physical world of matter in motion gave rise to a living world of purpose and meaning. Natural selection, a process without purpose, gives rise to purposeful beings who find meaning in the world. The key to this, Haig proposes, is the origin of mutable “texts”—genes—that preserve a record of what has worked in the world. These texts become the specifications for the intricate mechanisms of living beings.
…Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780262057196 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0262057190 |
| Author: | David Haig, Daniel C. Dennett |
| Publisher: | MIT Press Ltd |
| Imprint: | MIT Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 512 |
| Release Date: | 11 March 2026 |
| Weight: | 476g |
| Dimensions: | 203mm x 137mm |
You Can Find This Book In
What They're Saying
Critics Review
“A challenging though rewarding exploration of the meaning and purpose of life.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“What, Haig asks, is the teleological purpose of consciousness? In the case of human beings, our consciousness is designed to interpret, through an evolved instinct of sympathy, the subjective attitudes and intentions of others.”
—CHOICE
“David Haig’s powerful mind and trenchant wit are fully matched by his caring heart and his gracious style. I shall be recommending this book to my students, giving it to my friends, and sampling it repeatedly.”
—Stephen C. Stearns, Edward P. Bass Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University; author of Evolutionary Medicine
“Haig’s book could be a game-changer in the fraught relation between the biological sciences and philosophy. Its intriguing moral may be his dauntingly scientific first thirteen chapters legitimize and actually call for the kind of philosophical thinking that his last chapters unabashedly exemplify.”
—Richard Schacht, Jubilee Professor of Philosophy (Emeritus), University of Illinois
“In this profound and witty book, David Haig rediscovers Aristotle’s four causes and tackles the foundations of biology and philosophy (and their joint history). He offers a subtle yet far-reaching, reinterpretation of genetics, culture, and the nature and meaning of meaning. Read it; he writes, and rewrites, all of us.”
—Eric Schliesser, Professor, Political Science, University of Amsterdam, and Visiting Scholar, Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy, Chapman University
About The Author
David Haig
David A. Haig is George Putnam Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.
Daniel C. Dennett is University Professor and Codirector of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. He is the author of Brainchildren: Essays on Designing Minds, Sweet Dreams: Philosophical Obstacles to a Science of Consciousness, Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting, From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Mind, and other books.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.