Philosophy of Science for Biologists

Philosophy of Science for Biologists PDF Author: Kostas Kampourakis
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108491839
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Book Description
A short and accessible introduction to philosophy of science for students and researchers across the life sciences.

Philosophy of Science for Biologists

Philosophy of Science for Biologists PDF Author: Kostas Kampourakis
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108491839
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Book Description
A short and accessible introduction to philosophy of science for students and researchers across the life sciences.

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 Science for Biologists

Philosophy of Science for Biologists PDF Author: Kostas Kampourakis
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108755437
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Book Description
Biologists rely on theories, apply models and construct explanations, but rarely reflect on their nature and structure. This book introduces key topics in philosophy of science to provide the required philosophical background for this kind of reflection, which is an important part of all aspects of research and communication in biology. It concisely and accessibly addresses fundamental questions such as: Why should biologists care about philosophy of science? How do concepts contribute to scientific advancement? What is the nature of scientific controversies in the biological sciences? Chapters draw on contemporary examples and case studies from across biology, making the discussion relevant and insightful. Written for researchers and advanced undergraduate and graduate students across the life sciences, its aim is to encourage readers to become more philosophically minded and informed to enable better scientific practice. It is also an interesting and pertinent read for philosophers of science.

The Philosophy of Biology

The Philosophy of Biology PDF Author: Kostas Kampourakis
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400765371
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 762

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Book Description
This book brings together for the first time philosophers of biology to write about some of the most central concepts and issues in their field from the perspective of biology education. The chapters of the book cover a variety of topics ranging from traditional ones, such as biological explanation, biology and religion or biology and ethics, to contemporary ones, such as genomics, systems biology or evolutionary developmental biology. Each of the 30 chapters covers the respective philosophical literature in detail and makes specific suggestions for biology education. The aim of this book is to inform biology educators, undergraduate and graduate students in biology and related fields, students in teacher training programs, and curriculum developers about the current state of discussion on the major topics in the philosophy of biology and its implications for teaching biology. In addition, the book can be valuable to philosophers of biology as an introductory text in undergraduate and graduate courses.

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology PDF Author: Francisco J. Ayala
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9781444314939
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 440

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Book Description
This collection of specially commissioned essays puts top scholarshead to head to debate the central issues in the lively and fastgrowing field of philosophy of biology Brings together original essays on ten of the most hotlydebated questions in philosophy of biology Lively head-to-head debate format sharply defines the issuesand paves the way for further discussion Includes coverage of the new and vital area of evolutionarydevelopmental biology, as well as the concept of a unified species,the role of genes in selection, the differences between micro- andmacro-evolution, and much more Each section features an introduction to the topic as well assuggestions for further reading Offers an accessible overview of this fast-growing and dynamicfield, whilst also capturing the imagination of professionalphilosophers and biologists

Philosophy of Systems Biology

Philosophy of Systems Biology PDF Author: Sara Green
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319470000
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
The emergence of systems biology raises many fascinating questions: What does it mean to take a systems approach to problems in biology? To what extent is the use of mathematical and computational modelling changing the life sciences? How does the availability of big data influence research practices? What are the major challenges for biomedical research in the years to come? This book addresses such questions of relevance not only to philosophers and biologists but also to readers interested in the broader implications of systems biology for science and society. The book features reflections and original work by experts from across the disciplines including systems biologists, philosophers, and interdisciplinary scholars investigating the social and educational aspects of systems biology. In response to the same set of questions, the experts develop and defend their personal perspectives on the distinctive character of systems biology and the challenges that lie ahead. Readers are invited to engage with different views on the questions addressed, and may explore numerous themes relating to the philosophy of systems biology. This edited work will appeal to scholars and all levels, from undergraduates to researchers, and to those interested in a variety of scholarly approaches such as systems biology, mathematical and computational modelling, cell and molecular biology, genomics, systems theory, and of course, philosophy of biology.

Philosophy of Behavioral Biology

Philosophy of Behavioral Biology PDF Author: Kathryn S. Plaisance
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9789400719514
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 376

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Book Description
This volume provides a broad overview of issues in the philosophy of behavioral biology, covering four main themes: genetic, developmental, evolutionary, and neurobiological explanations of behavior. It is both interdisciplinary and empirically informed in its approach, addressing philosophical issues that arise from recent scientific findings in biological research on human and non-human animal behavior. Accordingly, it includes papers by professional philosophers and philosophers of science, as well as practicing scientists. Much of the work in this volume builds on presentations given at the international conference, “Biological Explanations of Behavior: Philosophical Perspectives”, held in 2008 at the Leibniz Universität Hannover in Germany. The volume is intended to be of interest to a broad range of audiences, which includes philosophers (e.g., philosophers of mind, philosophers of biology, and metaethicists), as well as practicing scientists, such as biologists or psychologists whose interests relate to biological explanations of behavior.

Systems Biology

Systems Biology PDF Author: Fred Boogerd
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 9780080475271
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Systems biology is a vigorous and expanding discipline, in many ways a successor to genomics and perhaps unprecedented in its combination of biology with a great many other sciences, from physics to ecology, from mathematics to medicine, and from philosophy to chemistry. Studying the philosophical foundations of systems biology may resolve a longer standing issue, i.e., the extent to which Biology is entitled to its own scientific foundations rather than being dominated by existing philosophies. * Answers the question of what distinguishes the living from the non-living * An in-depth look to a vigorous and expanding discipline, from molecule to system * Explores the region between individual components and the system

The Cambridge Companion to the Philosophy of Biology

The Cambridge Companion to the Philosophy of Biology PDF Author: David L. Hull
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139827626
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 651

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Book Description
The philosophy of biology is one of the most exciting new areas in the field of philosophy and one that is attracting much attention from working scientists. This Companion, edited by two of the founders of the field, includes newly commissioned essays by senior scholars and up-and-coming younger scholars who collectively examine the main areas of the subject - the nature of evolutionary theory, classification, teleology and function, ecology, and the problematic relationship between biology and religion, among other topics. Up-to-date and comprehensive in its coverage, this unique volume will be of interest not only to professional philosophers but also to students in the humanities and researchers in the life sciences and related areas of inquiry.

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.