The Myths We Live By (Routledge Classics)

The Myths We Live By (Routledge Classics)

<P>With a new Introduction by the author</P> <P></P> <P>'An elegant and sane little book. – <EM>The New Statesman</EM></P> <P>Myths, as Mary Midgley argues in this powerful book, are everywhere. In political thought they sit at the heart of theories of human nature and the social contract; in economics in the pursuit of self interest; and in science the idea of human beings as machines, which originates in the seventeenth century, is a today a potent force. Far from being the opposite of science, however, Midgley argues that myth is a central part of it. Myths are neither lies nor mere stories but a network of powerful symbols for interpreting the world. Tackling a dazzling array of subjects such as philosophy, evolutionary psychology, animals, consciousness and the environment in her customary razor-sharp prose, <EM>The Myths We Live By </EM>reminds us of the powerful role of symbolism and the need to take our imaginative life seriously. </P> <P>Mary Midgley is a moral philosopher and the author of many books including <EM>Wickedness</EM>, <EM>Evolution as a Religion</EM>, <EM>Beast and Man </EM>and <EM>Science and Poetry</EM>. All are published in Routledge Classics.</P>