Darwinian Conservatism
Anthony Flew reviews Larry Arnhart’s book Darwinian Conservatism:
“Larry Arnhart’s thesis in this book, which I think he proves abundantly, is that the constraints of our biological nature explode the most persistent delusion of the Left: ‘that man is so malleable that he can be reshaped or transformed through political actions.’ Consequently, a Darwinian politics is a largely conservative politics.
“When Harvard University biologist Edward Wilson argued that sociobiology should study the biological roots of human nature, he was attacked by those on the Left. What bothered the Leftists, Wilson explained, was ‘the threat perceived to the core concept of their belief system–namely, that there is no human nature, that human behaviour and human social institutions are entirely the product of economic forces and culture; in other words, that human beings can be shaped by imposing an ideal social order.’
“Larry Arnhart is to be commended for producing an excellent book about conservative thought.”
– CSM