From Comte to Benjamin Kidd: The Appeal to Biology or Evolution for Human Guidance (Classic Reprint)

Hook line: How biology and history have been used to guide human conduct, and what that means for ethics today. A clear, accessible tour of ideas from Comte to Kidd and beyond.This book surveys how evolution and biology have been claimed as guides for morality, politics, and society. It traces debates among major thinkers, weighs critiques, and shows how the idea of a scientific basis for ethics has evolved across the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Connections between biology, ethics, and sociology are explained in plain terms. Key figures and their arguments are compared, from Comte to Drummond and Huxley. How history, psychology, and philosophy interact with evolutionary theory is explored. Readers see the limits and challenges of applying natural science to moral questions.Ideal for readers of the history of science, philosophy of ethics, and sociology who want a concise, readable overview of early discussions about biology as a guide to human conduct. Read more