Background
Dupré, John A. was born on July 3, 1952 in Pembury, Kent, England. Son of Desmond John and Catherine Lane (Poole) Dupré.
(The great dream of philosophers and scientists for millen...)
The great dream of philosophers and scientists for millennia has been to give us a complete account of the order of things. A powerful articulation of such a dream in this century has been found in the idea of a unity of science. With this manifesto, John Dupré systematically attacks the ideal of scientific unity by showing how its underlying assumptions are at odds with the central conclusions of science itself. In its stead, the author gives us a metaphysics much more in keeping with what science tells us about the world. Elegantly written and compellingly argued, this provocative book will be important reading for all philosophers and scholars of science.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674212614/?tag=2022091-20
(John Dupr� explores the ways in which we categorize ani...)
John Dupr� explores the ways in which we categorize animals, including humans, and comes to refreshingly radical conclusions. It is a mistake to think that each organism has an essence that determines its necessary place in a unique hierarchy. We should reject the misguided concepts of a universal human nature and normality in human behavior. He shows that we must take a pluralistic view of biology and the human sciences.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199247102/?tag=2022091-20
(John Dupré warns that our understanding of human nature i...)
John Dupré warns that our understanding of human nature is being distorted by two faulty and harmful forms of pseudo-scientific thinking. Not just in the academic world but in everyday life, we find one set of experts who seek to explain the ends at which humans aim in terms of evolutionary theory, while the other set uses economic models to give rules of how we act to achieve those ends. Dupré demonstrates that these theorists' explanations do not work and that, if taken seriously, their theories tend to have dangerous social and political consequences. For these reasons, it is important to resist scientism: an exaggerated conception of what science can be expected to do for us. Dupré restores sanity to the study of human nature by pointing the way to a proper understanding of humans in the societies that are our natural and necessary environments. Anyone interested in science and human life will enjoy this book--unless they are its targets.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199248060/?tag=2022091-20
(John Dupré warns that our understanding of human nature i...)
John Dupré warns that our understanding of human nature is being distorted by two faulty and harmful forms of pseudo-scientific thinking. Not just in the academic world but increasingly in everyday life, we find one set of experts seeking to explain the ends at which humans aim in terms of evolutionary theory, and another set of experts using economic models to give rules of how we act to achieve those ends. Dupré demonstrates that these theorists' explanations do not work, and furthermore that if taken seriously their theories tend to have dangerous social and political consequences. For these reasons, it is important to resist scientism--an exaggerated conception of what science can be expected to do for us. Dupré restores sanity to the study of human nature by pointing the way to a proper understanding of humans in the societies that are our natural and necessary environments. Anyone interested in science and human nature will enjoy this book, unless they are its targets.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/019926550X/?tag=2022091-20
Dupré, John A. was born on July 3, 1952 in Pembury, Kent, England. Son of Desmond John and Catherine Lane (Poole) Dupré.
Bachelor, Oxford (England) University, 1981. Doctor of Philosophy, Cambridge (England) University, 1981.
Junior research fellow St. John's College, Oxford, 1980-1982. Assistant professor Stanford (California) University, 1982-1989, associate professor, 1989-1995, professor philosophy, 1975-1996. Professor London University, since 1996.
Senior research fellow University Exeter, England, since 1996, professor philosophy England, since 2000. Director Exeter Genomics Research Institute, since 2002.
(John Dupré warns that our understanding of human nature i...)
(John Dupré warns that our understanding of human nature i...)
(John Dupr� explores the ways in which we categorize ani...)
(The great dream of philosophers and scientists for millen...)
Member American Philosophical Association, Philosophy of Science Association, Aristotelian Society.
Married Lynda Laurel-Ann Oppenheim, October 6, 1977 (divorced 1981). Married Regenia Ann Gagnier, September 13, 1989. Children: Gabriel Gagnier, Julian Gagnier.