Does human life have meaning? Ever since Darwin, there has been great skepticism about whether a <"meaning of life>" was possible outside of religious belief. Is it possible to find meaning in human life? Philosopher of science Michael Ruse examines the question of meaning in life within Darwinian views of human nature. He argues that meaning in the Darwinian age can be found if we turn to a kind of Darwinian existentialism, seeing our evolved human natureas the source of all meaning, both in the intellectual and social worlds.

• Preface


• Introduction


• Chapter One: The Unraveling of Belief


• Chapter Two: Has Religion Really Lost the Answer?


• Chapter Three: Darwinism as Religion


• Chapter Four: Darwinian Existentialism


• Bibliography


• Index

Michael Ruse is the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy, and Director of the Program in the History and Philosophy of Science, at Florida State University. He has written or edited more than fifty books, including most recently On Purpose (2017) and the OUP volumes Darwinism as Religion (2016), and The Problem of War (2018).