Overview

"In this interdisciplinary work, author Ron Edwards offers an innovative rereading of H. G. Wells' ""The Island of Dr. Moreau."" Edwards utilizes his twenty-five years in biology and the ethics of animal research to examine the bioethical implications of Wells' work and its relevance to contemporary scientific and philosophical discussions. He tackles the myth of human exceptionalism, the notion that we are fundamentally different from the rest of the animal kingdom. We must view ourselves, he argues, not as from animals, but as animals.The approachable tone is suitable for a wide audience of the scientifically curious. At the same time, great care is given to providing an accurate and considered treatment of the technical aspects of the novel, including the scientific plausibility of Dr. Moreau's experiment. Never before have Wells' ideas been examined in such detail by an evolutionary biologist with the author's considerable experience.The implications are far-reaching, touching on key topics in animal rights, evolution, and the relationship between religion and science. Its approachability and dedication to technical accuracy produces a unique perspective on Wells' classic. Anyone with an interest in confronting some of the central issues of human existence through the lens of fiction will be rewarded with an original and thought-provoking work."

Full Product Details

Author:   Ronald Edwards
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 23.60cm , Height: 2.80cm , Length: 16.50cm
Weight:   0.542kg
ISBN:  

9780190212094

ISBN 10:   0190212098
Pages:   296
Publication Date:   07 April 2016
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

"PART ONE: NOT MEANT TO KNOW Chapter 1: The Paw Taking exception / Science and fiction / Science fiction Chapter 2: The Ism that Wasn't It does not please you / Darwin in the middle / Two windows Chapter 3: Don't Meddle Movies and Moreau / Sorcery / Life science PART TWO: THE THING IS AN ABOMINATION Chapter 4: The House of Pain No pain, no gain / Moreau 1, Prendick 0 / Pain is real Chapter 5: Into the Lab and Onto the Slab In the book / How / But why PART THREE: POOR BEASTS Chapter 6: All the Difference Moreau's Man / Prendick's gaze / ""No!"" / The virago Chapter 7: To the Beasts You May Go No threshold / Selection and its discontents / The Valley PART FOUR: NO ESCAPE Chapter 8: That is the Law Whose Law? / Hell is real / The Jesus moment / The rebel Chapter 9: Beast Monsters The taste of blood / The stubborn beast flesh / The horror Chapter 10: Big Thinks Suffering and philosophy / Science and humanity"

Reviews

Edwards takes us on a thoughtful exploration of the many far-reaching implications of a profoundly important, though often deeply disturbing, scientific fact: that we humans are animals. Furthermore, Edwards revisits The Island of Dr. Moreau, the classic, but widely misunderstood, 19th century novel by HG Wells, written to address the false human-animal dichotomy, and thus providing a refreshing literary approach to this topic for a general audience. --Dustin Penn, Head of the Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna

Author Information

Ron Edwards holds a PhD in Zoology from University of Florida and is self-employed as an independent scholar and author. He most recently served as an Assistant Professor at DePaul University, and has also held appointments at University of Chicago and Valdosta State University. He blogs regularly at http://hyenaswine.wordpress.com.

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