The Foundations Of Ethology
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
At the crossroads of biology, psychology, and evolutionary science stands a monumental work that forever changed how humanity understands animal behaviour. The Foundations of Ethology by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Konrad Z. Lorenz presents a sweeping and rigorous synthesis of the field he helped create, chronicling the biological basis of instinct, learning, and the innate behavioural patterns that govern the lives of animals — including, controversially, human beings. Drawing on decades of meticulous observation, Lorenz argues with characteristic conviction that behaviour is as subject to the forces of evolution as any anatomical structure, constructing a comprehensive theoretical framework that unifies comparative anatomy with behavioural science. The work details phenomena such as imprinting, fixed action patterns, and the hydraulic model of motivation, grounding each concept in vivid zoological case studies that bring the animal kingdom to startling life. Lorenz writes with the authority of a true pioneer, blending scientific precision with a naturalist's passion for the living world, producing a text that is as readable as it is intellectually formidable. His arguments challenge reductive and purely environmentalist accounts of behaviour, positioning ethology as a cornerstone discipline in the broader life sciences. Originally published in German and translated for an international audience, this work stands as both a foundational scientific treatise and a personal manifesto from one of the twentieth century's most brilliant and contentious minds — leaving the reader to wonder just how much of what we call human nature is, in fact, nature itself.
Author: Konrad Z. Lorenz
Format: Hardback
Published: 1978, Springer-Verlag
Genre: Zoology
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
At the crossroads of biology, psychology, and evolutionary science stands a monumental work that forever changed how humanity understands animal behaviour. The Foundations of Ethology by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Konrad Z. Lorenz presents a sweeping and rigorous synthesis of the field he helped create, chronicling the biological basis of instinct, learning, and the innate behavioural patterns that govern the lives of animals — including, controversially, human beings. Drawing on decades of meticulous observation, Lorenz argues with characteristic conviction that behaviour is as subject to the forces of evolution as any anatomical structure, constructing a comprehensive theoretical framework that unifies comparative anatomy with behavioural science. The work details phenomena such as imprinting, fixed action patterns, and the hydraulic model of motivation, grounding each concept in vivid zoological case studies that bring the animal kingdom to startling life. Lorenz writes with the authority of a true pioneer, blending scientific precision with a naturalist's passion for the living world, producing a text that is as readable as it is intellectually formidable. His arguments challenge reductive and purely environmentalist accounts of behaviour, positioning ethology as a cornerstone discipline in the broader life sciences. Originally published in German and translated for an international audience, this work stands as both a foundational scientific treatise and a personal manifesto from one of the twentieth century's most brilliant and contentious minds — leaving the reader to wonder just how much of what we call human nature is, in fact, nature itself.