A new translation of Denis Diderot's 1751 On the Interpretation of Nature from the original French manuscript into American English. This edition contains an afterword by the translator on Diderot's philosophic legacy, a timeline of his works and life, and a glossary of philosophic terminology utilized in his works. "Thoughts on the Interpretation of Nature" is a philosophical work by Denis Diderot in which he delves into the nature of scientific inquiry and the methods of interpreting the natural world. Diderot critically examines the prevailing scientific practices of his time and challenges the notion that a single, fixed interpretation of nature is attainable. He argues for a more comprehensive approach to scientific observation, emphasizing the importance of considering the interconnectedness and complexity of natural phenomena and pushing back on some of the Enlightenment's untethered rationalism. Diderot's scientific works had a significant impact on subsequent philosophical and scientific discussions in the French and German intellectual worlds. The work laid the groundwork for a more holistic understanding of the natural world and influenced the development of scientific methodologies. Diderot's ideas resonated with other philosophers and intellectuals of the Enlightenment period, who recognized the importance of embracing a multidimensional perspective in scientific inquiry. Denis Diderot is a critical figure of the Enlightenment who receives little attention from modern day philosophers. Diderot lived in the shadow of Rousseau and Volatire, whom he knew and worked with.

This anthology includes an English translation of Pensees sur l'Interpretation de la Nature, a work attacking the state of science in the mid-18th century.

Wittgenstein famously remarked in 1923, "Darwin's theory has no more relevance for philosophy than any other hypothesis in natural science." Yet today we are witnessing a major revival of interest in applying evolutionary approaches to philosophical problems. Philosophy after Darwin is an anthology of essential writings covering the most influential ideas about the philosophical implications of Darwinism, from the publication of On the Origin of Species to today's cutting-edge research. Michael Ruse presents writings by leading modern thinkers and researchers--including some writings never before published--together with the most important historical documents on Darwinism and philosophy, starting with Darwin himself. Included here are Herbert Spencer, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Henry Huxley, G. E. Moore, John Dewey, Konrad Lorenz, Stephen Toulmin, Karl Popper, Edward O. Wilson, Hilary Putnam, Philip Kitcher, Elliott Sober, and Peter Singer. Readers will encounter some of the staunchest critics of the evolutionary approach, such as Alvin Plantinga, as well as revealing excerpts from works like Jack London's The Call of the Wild. Ruse's comprehensive general introduction and insightful section introductions put these writings in context and explain how they relate to such fields as epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and ethics. An invaluable anthology and sourcebook, Philosophy after Darwin traces philosophy's complicated relationship with Darwin's dangerous idea, and shows how this relationship reflects a broad movement toward a secular, more naturalistic understanding of the human experience.

To the extent that writing has long been considered a substitute for "living" conversation, dialogue has been a quintessential metaphor for language as communication. This volume closely analyzes dialogue, both as a literary genre and as a critical principle underlying the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Diderot. In her analysis, the author examines relationships between texts and writers, between texts and readers, and between texts and other texts (intertextuality). Drawing extensively upon deconstructionist critical sources, as well as upon sociological and anthropological explorations of reading and writing, this volume provides valuable insight into the wonderfully complex acts of writing and reading, the "dialogue of writing." Of interest to students of eighteenth-century French literature, this work is alsoimportant to those interested in contemporary literary criticisms, its theory and practice, as well as to students of Barthes, Derrida, and Beneviste. The volume also presents fascinating applications of the the though of Claude Lévi-Strauss.