Larry Arnhart Livres

Exploring the intersection of Darwinian theory and conservative thought, this reprint features Larry Arnhart's original essay alongside diverse critiques and commentary from various contributors. The discussions delve into the implications of evolutionary principles on political philosophy, examining how natural selection influences concepts of morality, governance, and human nature. This collection offers a multifaceted perspective on the relevance of Darwinism in contemporary conservative discourse.

Organized around a series of enduring and provocative political questions, this edition of Arnhart's engaging treatment of political thought features the works of thirteen philosophers ranging in scope from antiquity to the present: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Rawls. The questions presented are designed to illuminate issues in American politics while encouraging students to examine the nature and substance of their own political beliefs. Ideas from the natural and social sciences—including sociobiology, game theory, cultural anthropology, and developmental psychology—are introduced and applied to classic philosophical texts. Detailed notes provide references and sources. Title of related interest also available from Waveland Press: Nelson, Western Political Thought: From Socrates to the Age of Ideology, Second Edition (ISBN 9781478627630).

Exploring the intersection of Darwinian biology and Aristotelian ethics, this book argues that ethical principles are deeply embedded in human nature. It presents a compelling case for how evolutionary insights can reinforce traditional moral frameworks, suggesting that our understanding of ethics should be grounded in our biological makeup. Through this lens, it challenges contemporary moral theories and invites readers to reconsider the foundations of ethical thought in light of our evolutionary history.

The Left has traditionally assumed that human nature is so malleable, so perfectible, that it can be shaped in almost any direction. Conservatives object, arguing that social order arises not from rational planning but from the spontaneous order of instincts and habits. Darwinian biology sustains conservative social thought by showing how the human capacity for spontaneous order arises from social instincts and a moral sense shaped by natural selection in human evolutionary history.