Review

“Unquestionably, the thoroughness of [The Cambridge Companion to Darwin, 2nd Edition and The Cambridge Companion to the ‘Origin of Species’] will be caviar for professional scholars.  But they will also appeal to a wider readership for offering clear and up-to-date expositions of the historical developments and theoretical principles of Darwin’s evolutionary thinking. … these volumes are undeniably a great introduction to Darwin, his ideas and his legacies. With the wealth of historical and philosophical analyses, and the great variety of contributions covering major problems within the field, they constitute an indispensable tool for any teacher or student of Darwin and Darwinism. The general public will find a complete presentation of Darwin’s thinking, while the scholarly can enjoy a number of revisionist claims sure to provoke responses, critical and otherwise.” –
– THIERRY HOQUET, British Journal of the History of Science

“….offers a carefully ecumenical primer to the scholarly approaches on display. The editors, Jonathan Hodge and Gregory Radick, have fittingly organized chapters along methodological lines, and the abruptness between sections is to some extent an artifact of decades of exciting and bewildering disputes over Darwin and Darwinism…. an ideal companion, ushering the reader into conversations already underway…. its aim is rather to shepherd the reader in search of deeper and more expansive understanding….The revisions to Hodge and Radick’s excellent introduction emphasize their aim of extracting philosophical themes from Darwin’s own projects as well as from his legacy…. the Companion’s riches should make it of interest not only to toilers in the Darwin Industry, who may choose to expand their libraries with the second edition, but also to a wider audience. Historians of the philosophy of science in particular may endorse the closing line of the volume….” –
– Kathryn Tabb, University of Pittsburgh, HOPOS: The Journal of the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science

“…there is an enormous amount of material one might have to become familiar with if one wants to have an informed view of Darwin, and so a standard reference book is required. This is that book – the second edition of the volume, updated somewhat and with new essays. In conjunction with another volume on the Origin itself, most students of Darwin would have little need for any other introductions to the historical context and development of he theory of evolution…. it is the best entry point into many debates and issues of the so-called “Darwin industry” that was set in motion 50 years earlier at the centenary of the Origin, and which continues unabated today. It should be in every interested person’s personal library.”
— John S Wilkins, University of Sydney, Reports of the National Center for Science Education

Book Description

An indispensable resource for anyone teaching or researching Darwin’s theories and their historical and philosophical interpretations. This second, updated edition includes two new chapters: on Darwin, Hume and human nature, and on Darwin’s theories in the intellectual long run, from the pre-Socratics to the present.