In setting out to answer his central question "Is evolution progressive?", Dawkins illustrates the human biases that continue to muddle our understanding of just what evolutionary 'progress' means; from early Victorian influences, to contemporary scientific texts which uncritically invoke 'evolutionary scales' and notions of 'higher' and 'lower' organisms. In turn, Dawkins demonstrates the 'human chauvinistic' definition of progress, and why, if progress...

The legendary biologist, provocateur, and bestselling author mounts a timely and passionate defense of science and clear thinking with this career-spanning collection of essays, including twenty pieces published in the United States for the first time. For decades, Richard Dawkins has been the world's most brilliant scientific communicator, consistently illuminating the wonders of nature and attacking faulty logic. Science in the Soul brings together...