The Descent of Man
And Selection in Relation to Sex
Assigned by 3 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1871
- Language
- English
- Length
- Epic · 790 ppover 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Descent of ManPenguin Classics, 2004The complete second edition text with James Moore and Adrian Desmond's substantial introduction.
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Twelve years after the Origin, Darwin applies his theory to human beings. The first part argues that humans descend from an ape-like ancestor, that our mental and moral faculties differ from those of animals in degree rather than kind, and that the moral sense grows out of social instincts. The second and longest part develops the theory of sexual selection, in which mates rather than environments choose, and surveys its effects across insects, birds and mammals before applying it to human races and the differences between the sexes.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Descent of Man are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
