How Biology Shapes Philosophy

How Biology Shapes Philosophy PDF Author: David Livingstone Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107055830
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 367

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Book Description
A collection of original essays by major thinkers, addressing how the biological sciences inform and inspire philosophical research.

How Biology Shapes Philosophy

How Biology Shapes Philosophy PDF Author: David Livingstone Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107055830
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 367

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Book Description
A collection of original essays by major thinkers, addressing how the biological sciences inform and inspire philosophical research.

How Biology Shapes Philosophy

How Biology Shapes Philosophy PDF Author: David Livingstone Smith
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781316984437
Category : Biology
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description


Philosophy of Biology

Philosophy of Biology PDF Author: Peter Godfrey-Smith
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691174679
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
An essential introduction to the philosophy of biology This is a concise, comprehensive, and accessible introduction to the philosophy of biology written by a leading authority on the subject. Geared to philosophers, biologists, and students of both, the book provides sophisticated and innovative coverage of the central topics and many of the latest developments in the field. Emphasizing connections between biological theories and other areas of philosophy, and carefully explaining both philosophical and biological terms, Peter Godfrey-Smith discusses the relation between philosophy and science; examines the role of laws, mechanistic explanation, and idealized models in biological theories; describes evolution by natural selection; and assesses attempts to extend Darwin's mechanism to explain changes in ideas, culture, and other phenomena. Further topics include functions and teleology, individuality and organisms, species, the tree of life, and human nature. The book closes with detailed, cutting-edge treatments of the evolution of cooperation, of information in biology, and of the role of communication in living systems at all scales. Authoritative and up-to-date, this is an essential guide for anyone interested in the important philosophical issues raised by the biological sciences.

Philosophy of Biology

Philosophy of Biology PDF Author:
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 9780080471242
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 638

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Book Description
Philosophy of Biology is a rapidly expanding field. It is concerned with explanatory concepts in evolution, genetics, and ecology. This collection of 25 essays by leading researchers provides an overview of the state of the field. These essays are wholly new; none of them could have been written even ten years ago. They demonstrate how philosophical analysis has been able to contribute to sometimes contested areas of scientific theory making. -Written by internationally acknowledged leaders in the field - Entries make original contributions as well as summarizing state of the art discoveries in the field - Easy to read and understand

Evolutionary Causation

Evolutionary Causation PDF Author: Tobias Uller
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262039923
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 361

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Book Description
A comprehensive treatment of the concept of causation in evolutionary biology that makes clear its central role in both historical and contemporary debates. Most scientific explanations are causal. This is certainly the case in evolutionary biology, which seeks to explain the diversity of life and the adaptive fit between organisms and their surroundings. The nature of causation in evolutionary biology, however, is contentious. How causation is understood shapes the structure of evolutionary theory, and historical and contemporary debates in evolutionary biology have revolved around the nature of causation. Despite its centrality, and differing views on the subject, the major conceptual issues regarding the nature of causation in evolutionary biology are rarely addressed. This volume fills the gap, bringing together biologists and philosophers to offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary treatment of evolutionary causation. Contributors first address biological motivations for rethinking evolutionary causation, considering the ways in which development, extra-genetic inheritance, and niche construction challenge notions of cause and process in evolution, and describing how alternative representations of evolutionary causation can shed light on a range of evolutionary problems. Contributors then analyze evolutionary causation from a philosophical perspective, considering such topics as causal entanglement, the commingling of organism and environment, and the relationship between causation and information. Contributors John A. Baker, Lynn Chiu, David I. Dayan, Renée A. Duckworth, Marcus W Feldman, Susan A. Foster, Melissa A. Graham, Heikki Helanterä, Kevin N. Laland, Armin P. Moczek, John Odling-Smee, Jun Otsuka, Massimo Pigliucci, Arnaud Pocheville, Arlin Stoltzfus, Karola Stotz, Sonia E. Sultan, Christoph Thies, Tobias Uller, Denis M. Walsh, Richard A. Watson

Genetics and Philosophy

Genetics and Philosophy PDF Author: Paul Griffiths
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107002125
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 279

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Book Description
This book integrates the work of philosophers of science seeking to make sense of genetics with an accessible introduction to the science.

Philosophy of Biology

Philosophy of Biology PDF Author: Alex Rosenberg
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1405183179
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 465

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Book Description
By combining excerpts from key historical writings with editors’ introductions and further reading material, Philosophy of Biology: An Anthology offers a comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date collection of the field’s most significant works. Addresses central questions such as ‘What is life?’ and ‘How did it begin?’, and the most current research and arguments on evolution and developmental biology Editorial notes throughout the text define, clarify, and qualify ideas, concepts and arguments Includes material on evolutionary psychology and evolutionary developmental biology not found in other standard philosophy of biology anthologies Further reading material assists novices in delving deeper into research in philosophy of biology

Teleosemantics

Teleosemantics PDF Author: Graham Macdonald
Publisher: Clarendon Press
ISBN: 0191515051
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
Teleosemantics seeks to explain meaning and other intentional phenomena in terms of their function in the life of the species. This volume of new essays from an impressive line-up of well-known contributors offers a valuable summary of the current state of the teleosemantics debate.

The Philosophy of Biology

The Philosophy of Biology PDF Author: Marjorie Grene
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521643801
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 446

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Book Description
Examines how the philosophy of biology has evolved to our current understanding.

The Metaphysics of Biology

The Metaphysics of Biology PDF Author: John Dupré
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 100902180X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
This Element is an introduction to the metaphysics of biology, a very general account of the nature of the living world. The first part of the Element addresses more traditionally philosophical questions - whether biological systems are reducible to the properties of their physical parts, causation and laws of nature, substantialist and processualist accounts of life, and the nature of biological kinds. The second half will offer an understanding of important biological entities, drawing on the earlier discussions. This division should not be taken too seriously, however: the topics in both parts are deeply interconnected. Although this does not claim to be a scientific work, it does aim to be firmly grounded in our best scientific knowledge; it is an exercise in naturalistic metaphysics. Its most distinctive feature is that argues throughout for a view of living systems as processes rather than things or, in the technical philosophical sense, substances.