Arguing About Human Nature Contemporary Debates

This collection is a parachute onto the front lines of the nature-nurture debate. By far the most up-to-date, balanced, and encompassing reader on the all-important topic of human nature. Jesse Prinz, Professor of Philosophy, CUNY Graduate Center A cornucopia of crucial and adversarial approaches to the scientific foundations of our contemporary grasp on whether, to what extent and exactly how heredity, development and social learning interact to produce human nature. One could as easily spend an introductory term or a scholarly lifetime working through some or all of this vast but thoughtful anthology. Alex Rosenberg, Professor of Philosophy, Duke University From classic evolutionary psychology texts on human nature to some of the most exciting modern day treatises on innateness, Downes and Machery's latest collection is sure to become a classic in cognitive science. Laurie Santos, Associate Professor of Psychology, Yale University Astonishingly, the claim that all humans have something in common is currently one of the most controversial claims a scientist can make. If you find this as puzzling as I do, Machery and Downes' Arguing About Human Nature will help you to understand what all the fuss is about. Its collection of new and classic essays on the human nature controversy reveals why studying ourselves is one of the most difficult scientific challenges of all. Clark Barrett, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles This collection is a delight. The essays are smart and clear and accessible, from some of the best scholars around, and the topic is the deepest of them all-what it is to be human. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in seeing how scientists and philosophers can work together to help answer the questions that matter the most. Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Yale University