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      • Conservatism & right-of-centre democratic ideologies
        July 2005

        Darwinian Conservatism

        by Arnhart, Larry, A01

        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...

      • Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers

        Evolution and "The Sex Problem"

        American Narratives during the Eclipse of Darwinism

        by Bert Bender (author)

        A noteworthy investigation of the Darwinian element in American fiction from the realist through the Freudian erasIn Evolution and “the Sex Problem” author Bert Bender argues that Darwin’s theories of sexual selection and of the emotions are essential elements in American fiction from the late 1800s through the 1950s, particularly during the Freudian era and the years surrounding the Scopes trial.Bender contends that novelists with different social points of view explored “the sex problem,” and what resulted was a great diversity of American narratives aligned with either Darwinian or a number of anti-Darwinian theories of evolution. Included are intriguing discussions of works by Frank Norris, Jack London, Stephen Crane, Theodore Dreiser, Gertrude Stein, Willa Cather, Sherwood Anderson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, five writers of the Harlem Renaissance, John Steinbeck, and Ernest Hemingway. Among the ideas explored are Darwin’s theory of common descent; the question of man’s place in nature; the possibility of evolutionary progress; the issues of heredity and eugenics; the Darwinian basis of Freud’s theory of sexual repression; the quandary of male violence and the role of female choice in sexual selection; the power of and the problems of racial and sexual difference; and the ecological problems that arose directly from Darwin’s theory of evolution.This volume provides a valuable treatment of an underappreciated aspect of America’s major narratives of human life and love and will be appreciated by literary scholars and readers interested in Darwinism and culture.

      • A Gay Humanist Manifesto

        by Alan. Keslian

        This non-fiction booklet gives a gay perspective on humanist beliefs. It discusses subjects such as monogamy and promiscuity, and counters the rejection of same sex attraction on moral and religious grounds. Touching on scientific and social arguments, in 25 pages it makes the case for a positive outlook on the place of lesbians and gay men in the modern world.

      • Impact of science & technology on society

        What it will be like

        Stories of Technologically Modified Umanity

        by Luca De Biase, Telmo Pievani

        Climate change. Financial instability. Migrations. Inequalities. Digital acceleration and political slowness. Today’s major transformations burst into every day’s debates with their unpredictability and their fascination. Why is it so important to talk about the future? What can we do in the face of the challenges that it holds in store for us? Looking at these questions, What it will be like does not offer predictions but suggests a method for looking ahead in awareness, with the only certainty that we can cultivate on the matter: the future is the consequence of our actions. What will it be like is the original synthesis of three views: an investigation into the trends of technological evolution, research into creativity and overcoming the limits of the possible, and criticism of the media narrations. The three approaches converge on two questions: what do we know about the evolution of technology? Do we have the possibility of influencing its direction? The only way to foresee the future is to invent it, and acting in the present is the only machine we have to travel forward in time.

      • Science & Mathematics

        Travel Guide for Space Explorers

        by Antonio Ereditato

        Every child around the world dreams of venturing into space, of exploring distant planets, of finding alien civilisations nestled in never seen before valleys. And, even when we grow up, we still look at the stars as one of the few remaining genuine wonders of the contemporary world. Antonio Ereditato takes us where no man has ever been before: our journey begins on Earth, where we have to build our star-roaming vessel; then we set off, and Antonio guides us through planets and stars, asteroids and comets, to explain how the universe works. It’s a long trip, passing far beyond the Oort Cloud where comets are born, to the heart of our galaxy. Travel Guide for Space Explorers is a treasure trove of marvels and astonishing vistas; a field manual for the space explorer inside us.

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