Philosophers have traditionally concentrated on the qualities that make human beings different from other species. In Beast and Man Mary Midgley, one of our foremost intellectuals, stresses continuities. What makes people tick? Largely, she asserts, the same things as animals. She tells us humans are rather more like other animals than we previously allowed ourselves to believe, and reminds us just how primitive we are in comparison to the sophistication of many animals. A veritable classic for our age, Beast and Man has helped change the way we think about ourselves and the world in which we live.

Mary Midgley (1919-2018). A philosopher with a special interest in ethics, human nature, and science, Mary Midgley has a widespread international following for her work.

Part One: Conceptual Problems of an unusual species 1. Have We a Nature? 2. Animals and the problems of Evil 3. Instinct, Nature, and Purpose Part Two: Art and Science in Psychology 4. Directions without a Director 5. On Taking Motives Seriously 6. Altruism and Egoism Part Three: Signposts 7. Up and Down 8. Evolution and Practical Thinking 9. Facts and Values Part Four: The Marks of Man 10. Speech and Other Excellences 11. On Being Animal as well as Rational 12. Why we need a Culture Part Five 13. The Unity of Life Bibliography Index