About the book
The groundbreaking first book by a major evolutionary biologist, published in 1912, that anticipated current thinking about organismal complexity.
Julian Huxley’s The Individual in the Animal Kingdom, published in 1912, is a concise and groundbreaking work that is almost entirely unknown today. In it, Huxley analyzes the evolutionary advances in life’s organizational complexity, anticipating many of today’s ideas about changes in individuality. Huxley’s overarching system of concepts and his coherent logical principles were so far ahead of their time that they remain valid to this day. In part, this is because his explicitly Darwinian approach carefully distinguished between the integrated form and function of hierarchies within organisms and loosely defined, nonorganismal ecological communities.
In The Individual in the Animal Kingdom, we meet a youthful Huxley who uses his commanding knowledge of natural history to develop a nonreductionist account of life’s complexity that aligns with seminal early insights by Darwin, Wallace, Weismann, and Wheeler. As volume editors Richard Gawne and Jacobus Boomsma point out, this work disappeared into oblivion despite its relevance for contemporary research on organismal complexity and major evolutionary transitions. This MIT Press edition gives Huxley’s book a second hearing, offering readers a unique vantage point on the discoveries of evolutionary biology past and present.
Editions of The Individual in the Animal Kingdom
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780262045377
- EBook
- ISBN 9780262362320
- EBook
- ISBN 9780262369985
Read an Excerpt
The groundbreaking first book by a major evolutionary biologist, published in 1912, that anticipated current thinking about organismal complexity.
Julian Huxley’s The Individual in the Animal Kingdom, published in 1912, is a concise and groundbreaking work that is almost entirely unknown today. In it, Huxley analyzes the evolutionary advances in life’s organizational complexity, anticipating many of today’s ideas about changes in individuality. Huxley’s overarching system of concepts and his coherent logical principles were so far ahead of their time that they remain valid to this day. In part, this is because his explicitly Darwinian approach carefully distinguished between the integrated form and function of hierarchies within organisms and loosely defined, nonorganismal ecological communities.
In The Individual in the Animal Kingdom, we meet a youthful Huxley who uses his commanding knowledge of natural history to develop a nonreductionist account of life’s complexity that aligns with seminal early insights by Darwin, Wallace, Weismann, and Wheeler. As volume editors Richard Gawne and Jacobus Boomsma point out, this work disappeared into oblivion despite its relevance for contemporary research on organismal complexity and major evolutionary transitions. This MIT Press edition gives Huxley’s book a second hearing, offering readers a unique vantage point on the discoveries of evolutionary biology past and present.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Individual in the Animal Kingdom about?
The groundbreaking first book by a major evolutionary biologist, published in 1912, that anticipated current thinking about organismal complexity.
Julian Huxley’s The Individual in the Animal Kingdom, published in 1912, is a concise and groundbreaking work that is almost entirely unknown today. In it, Huxley analyzes the evolutionary advances in life’s organizational complexity, anticipating many of today’s ideas about changes in individuality. Huxley’s overarching system of concepts and his coherent logical principles were so far ahead of their time that they remain valid to this day. In part, this is because his explicitly Darwinian approach carefully distinguished between the integrated form and function of hierarchies within organisms and loosely defined, nonorganismal ecological communities.
In The Individual in the Animal Kingdom, we meet a youthful Huxley who uses his commanding knowledge of natural history to develop a nonreductionist account of life’s complexity that aligns with seminal early insights by Darwin, Wallace, Weismann, and Wheeler. As volume editors Richard Gawne and Jacobus Boomsma point out, this work disappeared into oblivion despite its relevance for contemporary research on organismal complexity and major evolutionary transitions. This MIT Press edition gives Huxley’s book a second hearing, offering readers a unique vantage point on the discoveries of evolutionary biology past and present.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Individual in the Animal Kingdom?
Mathematics and Science > Biology, life sciences > Life sciences: general issues > Evolution / Evolutionary biology
Where can I read a sample of The Individual in the Animal Kingdom?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780262045377
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Individual in the Animal Kingdom?
Julian S. Huxley
Who is the Publisher of the book The Individual in the Animal Kingdom?
MIT Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Individual in the Animal Kingdom is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780262045377) and ebook(ISBN 9780262362320) and ebook(ISBN 9780262369985)
Where can I buy The Individual in the Animal Kingdom online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy The Individual in the Animal Kingdom?