Adaptation and Natural Selection – A Critique of Some Current Evolutionary Thought A Critique of Some Current Evolutionary Thought

Originally published: 1966. With new foreword. [First] Princeton science library edition, with new preface by the author, A1996.



Biological evolution is a fact—but the many conflicting theories of evolution remain controversial even today. When Adaptation and Natural Selection was first published in 1966, it struck a powerful blow against those who argued for the concept of group selection—the idea that evolution acts to select entire species rather than individuals. Williams’s famous work in favor of simple Darwinism over group selection has become a classic of science literature, valued for its thorough and convincing argument and its relevance to many fields outside of biology. Now with a new foreword by Richard Dawkins, Adaptation and Natural Selection is an essential text for understanding the nature of scientific debate.