Preface; Introduction; 1. Scientific ground rules; 2. The new views in anthropology, archaeology and economics; 3. Theoretical background to the vicious circle principle; 4. The vicious circle principle of the development of humankind; 5. The development of humankind; 6. The vicious circle today; 7. … and too dumb to change; Conclusion; Glossary; Notes; References; Index.
A groundbreaking work explaining our ecological predicament in the context of the first scientific theory of humankind's development.
Craig Dilworth, born and raised in Canada, received his PhD in Sweden in 1981. He is presently Reader in Theoretical Philosophy at Uppsala University. While he is fundamentally a philosopher, Dilworth is at the same time a true generalist. He has been engaged in a wide variety of environmental projects on the local level, while at the same time developing his intellectual interests in the philosophy of science, human ecology, theoretical physics, theoretical biology, and the social sciences. He is the author of two major works in the philosophy of science, Scientific Progress and The Metaphysics of Science, and an earlier book in environmental science, Sustainable Development and Decision Making. He has spent the past 15 years researching the present book.
'Dilworth's book is very interesting, well written, and based on an
incredible amount of research. It provides a thoroughly novel view
of extremely important issues, one which will add considerably to
the discussion concerning limits to growth.' Dennis Meadows,
co-author of Limits to Growth
'[Dilworth's] economics discussions are on target. I congratulate
him on his very comprehensive undertaking.' Herman Daly, author of
Steady-State Economics
'An impressive volume - comprehensive and scholarly. The book's
central ideas are of critical importance for humankind.' Tony
McMichael, author of Human Frontiers, Environments and Disease
(Cambridge University Press, 2001)
'[Dilworth] writes extremely well, is widely read, and has a unique
wealth of knowledge. This book is unique in its coverage and
presentation; and the examples it provides are excellent.' David
Pimentel, Food, Energy and Society
'… a very fine piece of work, and most welcome as we humans careen
toward crisis and disaster. I hope the book gets widely discussed
and perhaps even starts to change the extraordinarily ignorant,
fantasy-driven media discussions of contemporary problems that seem
to focus on aspects of ideology and belief to the neglect of the
underlying processes that, I increasingly fear, are driving us to
ruin. … I like the book very much. It is a piece of first-rate
scholarship written in a clear and engaging style. … I would like
to see this book widely read by a literate general audience. It
could also serve as the basic text for upper division courses in
human ecology in departments of anthropology, sociology, geography
(and maybe even economics).' Allen W. Johnson, co-author of The
Evolution of Human Societies
'Dilworth's book is an exceptionally 'good read' and is a synthesis
of many important components (ecological, social, and
technological) that are commonly treated in isolation from each
other. Information is provided in a systematic and orderly way, and
the flow from one idea to the next is almost seamless. The book
also has a wealth of useful references. … is well written and
should be important to anyone interested in the future of
civilization and homo sapiens. Such breadth and depth in a single
book are rare.' The Journal of Environmental Conservation
'I would honestly have to say that this is one of the most
important books I've ever read. Let me warn you though that it will
not leave you all warm and fuzzy and filled with hope, as the
author's conclusion is that, along with the title, we are 'too dumb
to do anything about it'. All evidence so far would indicate that
he is correct, and if you read the book you will know why.' Ronnie
Wright, World Change Café
'In general, Dilworth makes it clear that throughout history,
population control has been integral to functioning societies, and
he goes to a lot of effort to document that. He shows how we have
ignored that history in the past 200 years, to the point where
population is hardly mentioned, despite its being the basic cause
of everything going wrong … This is an excellent, scholarly work.
Cherry pick and you'll get the gist, although spending a few days
on the book would be somewhat more rewarding.' Harold Welch
'Dilworth has done as much, I believe, as any one person can be
expected to do in this kind of project, especially considering that
he worked on it over a [fifteen]-year period without any funding or
staff support. Moreover, it is possible that this invaluable kind
of multidisciplinary broad thinking can only be done by one person
working alone, as was the case with Charles Darwin.' Sam B.
Hopkins
'Too Smart [for our Own Good] has [a] great advantage over the
regular scaremongers; it presents a properly formulated scientific
theory to explain why we so consistently ruin our environment in
the pursuit of making a living. The book's vicious circle principle
(VCP) explains why the introduction of each new technology is
invariably a response to vital need rather than greed, as is
commonly believed. Moreover the vital need that the advance hopes
to meet has been caused by the overuse of a previous technology.
This is clearly illustrated with many examples over a 100,000-year
period!' Damon Dane
'This book is well written and should be important to anyone
interested in the future of civilization and Homosapiens. Such
breadth and depth in a single book are rare!' John Cairns, Jr,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
'… this is an important book, which effectively challenges the
conventional view of the nature of human development.' Mick Common,
Ecological Economics
'This is a comprehensive and thought-provoking text, describing the
early evolution and historical development of humans in relation to
the increasing use of natural resources and consequent
environmental change … The text would undoubtedly be useful in
stimulating debate, particularly in providing a comprehensive
historical context in which to place current uncertainties
surrounding human responses to climate change and loss of
biodiversity … this book offers a fascinating overview of human
history and evolution from the point of view of a specific
philosophical perspective.' Area
'… an excellent resource for students … The history of evolution,
the glossary, the illustrations, and the persuasive arguments
backed up by the comprehensive literature review add to the quality
of the book. An impressive and informative undertaking. This book
is a must read for those concerned about the future of the human
race and hoping for lessons from the past.' Environments
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