... reductionism or materialism, in which matter is the fundamental reality and only material causes are effective. The philosopher Daniel Dennett has defended a strong neo-Darwinian position, drawing from biology, probability theory, cognitive science, and computer simulations. Evolution, he asserts, is the product of a mindless, purposeless process. He vehemently rejects all forms of intelligent design, including Darwin's belief ... Through natural selection, those genes that confer adaptive advantages are passed on with greater frequency. Selection is thus an automatic impersonal process ...

• Word Count: 7861
• Approx Pages: 31
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate