Social Evolutionism by Stephen K Sanderson

Social Evolutionism by Stephen K Sanderson

In Social Evolutionism Stephen Sanderson provide a lucid account of a body of theory that has profoundly affected both intellectual and popular assumptions about human nature, society, and behavior. He describes the prominent and controversial role that evolutionary ideas have played in the development of social theory. He demonstrates the diversity of evolutionary ideas by comparing their notions of causation, their assumptions about human progress, and the adequacy of their modes of explanation and interpretation of evidence. Although he is highly critical of some aspects of evolutionary thinking and some modes of evolutionism, Professor Sanderson shows that an evolutionary interpretation of world history contributes vital insights about the character of human social life.

"Sanderson writes with admirable clarity, and with a relaxed, easy-going (yet unpatronizing) styleThere is none of the jargon and intellectual pomposity that afflict so much writing in sociological and anthropological theory. Indeed, the book would be readily comprehensive to a virtual beginner with little or no previous knowledge of the field." The Times Higher Education Supplement

"Everything graduate students want to prepare for their generals: a succinct, clear presentation of over a century of evolutionary thinking in the social sciences, with incisive criticisms. The main strands of social evolutionism are skillfully disentangled are related to biological evolutionism. I can think of no better text to use in any course on sociological theory." Pierre van den Berghe

"One of the most important books i have read in recent years. It cuts through the nihilism and antiscientism of the past decade with a splandidly shiny sciences... His expositions of the works of leading figures make for one brilliant tour de force after another." Marvin Harris

"The text is superb. It is easily the outstanding treatment of the subject in print. It deserves wide currency and should becmoe the standard textbook for any sociology or anthropology course on sociocultural evolution." Robert L Carneiro

Stephen K Sanderson is Professor of Sociology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781557863379
ISBN 10	1557863377
Title	Social Evolutionism
Author	Stephen K Sanderson
Series	Studies In Social Discontinuity
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Year published	1992-10-15
Number of pages	272
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.