The World of Biology and Politics (Research in Biopolitics, 11)

This volume describes (a) the present academic and institutional status of Biopolitics and (b) the wide range of research areas that have emerged within the field. The Introduction puts into perspective the major differences and similarities between Biopolitics and more traditional approaches to political science in terms of basic concepts, scope, research methodology, and the resulting implications for public policy. The next two chapters focus on the institutions and organizations that have significantly influenced the structure and direction of the 'movement.' Chapter 4 describes how and why evolutionary theory has had an increasingly influential impact on political science. Chapters 5 through 9 are 'case studies' of how biological perspectives have been productively used in several of the discipline's established 'fields.' Chapter 10 is a measured critical analysis of the enterprise and Chapter 11 looks at where biopolitics as a field might be moving.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Albert Somit and Steven A. Peterson, Biology and Politics: An IntroductionChapter 2: Biology and Politics: Organizational IssuesA. Albert Somit and Steven A. Peterson, International Political Science Association s Research Committee # 12B. David Goetze, Association for Politics and the Life SciencesC. Rob Sprinkle, Politics and the Life SciencesChapter 3: Graduate Training in Biology and PoliticsA. Albert Somit, and Milton Lodge, The Program at the State University of New York at Stony BrookB. Andrea Bonnicksen, The Biopolitics Program at Northern Illinois UniversityC. Rebecca Hannagan, Bootstrapping 'Biology-Minded' Graduate ProgramsD. Albert Somit, Other Related Aspects of Training StudentsChapter 4: Tatu Vanhanen, On the Evolutionary Roots of the Social SciencesChapter 5: John Friend and Bradley Thayer, Neuropolitics and Political Science: Providing a Foundation for the Study of PoliticsChapter 6: Johan van der Dennen, The Biopolitics of Great ApesChapter 7: Odelia Funke, Biopolicy: Can it provide a new paradigm?Chapter 8: Robert E. Gilbert, Attempted Assassination and Presidential Achievement: The Case of Ronald ReaganChapter 9: Steven A. Peterson, Toward an Evolutionary Synthesis of Individualist and Communist AnarchismChapter 10: Robert Blank and Michael Bang Petersen, Success or Failure? A Critical but Optimistic Evaluation of BiopoliticsChapter 11: Albert Somit and Steven A. Peterson, Quo Vadis? Biology and Politics and the Future