A COMPANION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY
‘Sarkar is to be congratulated for assembling this talented team of philosophers, who are themselves to be congratulated for writing these interesting essays on so many fascinating areas in philosophy of biology. This book will be a wonderful resource for future work.’
Elliot Sober, University of Wisconsin-Madison
‘Many of the discussions here start with a definition of terms and a historical context of the subject before delving into the deeper philosophical issues, making it a useful reference for students of biology as well as philosophy.’
Northeastern Naturalist
‘The topics that are addressed are done so well. This book will appeal to the advanced student and knowledgeable amateur and may prove useful catalyst for discussion among research teams or those engaged in cross-disciplinary studies.’
Reference Reviews
A Companion to the Philosophy of Biology offers concise overviews of philosophical issues raised by all areas of biology. Addressing both traditional and emerging areas of philosophical interest, the volume focuses on the philosophical implications of evolutionary theory as well as key topics such as molecular biology, immunology, and ecology
Comprising essays by top scholars in the field, this volume is an authoritative guide for professional philosophers, historians, sociologists and biologists, as well as an accessible reference work for students seeking to learn about this rapidly-changing field.
Tabella dei contenuti
List of Figures viii
List of Tables x
Notes on Contributors xi
Acknowledgments xvii
Introduction xviii
Sahotra Sarkar and Anya Plutynski
Part I Molecular Biology and Genetics 1
1 Gene Concepts 3
Hans-Jörg Rheinberger and Staffan Müller-Wille
2 Biological Information 22
Stefan Artmann
3 Heredity and Heritability 40
Richard C. Lewontin
4 Genomics, Proteomics, and Beyond 58
Sahotra Sarkar
Part II Evolution 75
5 Darwinism and Neo-Darwinism 77
James G. Lennox
6 Systematics and Taxonomy 99
Marc Ereshefsky
7 Population Genetics 119
Christopher Stephens
8 The Units and Levels of Selection 138
Samir Okasha
9 Molecular Evolution 157
Michael R. Dietrich
10 Speciation and Macroevolution 169
Anya Plutynski
11 Adaptationism 186
Peter Godfrey-Smith and Jon F. Wilkins
Part III Developmental Biology 203
12 Phenotypic Plasticity and Reaction Norms 205
Jonathan M. Kaplan
13 Explaining the Ontogeny of Form: Philosophical Issues 223
Alan C. Love
14 Development and Evolution 248
Ron Amundson
Part IV Medicine 269
15 Self and Nonself 271
Moira Howes
16 Health and Disease 287
Dominic Murphy
Part V Ecology 299
17 Population Ecology 301
Mark Colyvan
18 Complexity, Diversity, and Stability 321
James Justus
19 Ecosystems 351
Kent A. Peacock
20 Biodiversity: Its Meaning and Value 368
Bryan G. Norton
Part VI Mind and Behavior 391
21 Ethology, Sociobiology, and Evolutionary Psychology 393
Paul E. Griffiths
22 Cooperation 415
J. Mc Kenzie Alexander
23 Language and Evolution 431
Derek Bickerton
Part VII Experimentation, Theory, and Themes 453
24 What is Life? 455
Mark A. Bedau
25 Experimentation 472
Marcel Weber
26 Laws and Theories 489
Marc Lange
27 Models 506
Jay Odenbaugh
28 Function and Teleology 525
Justin Garson
29 Reductionism in Biology 550
Alexander Rosenberg
Index 568
Circa l’autore
Sahotra Sarkar is Professor of Integrative Biology, Geography and the Environment, and Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Genetics and Reductionism: A Primer (1998), Biodiversity and Environmental Philosophy (2005), Molecular Models of Life (2005), Doubting Darwin? Creationist Designs on Evolution (2007); co-author of Systematic Conservation Planning (2007); editor of several books, including The Philosophy and History of Molecular Biology (1996), the six-volume Science and Philosophy in the Twentieth Century: Basic Works of Logical Empiricism (1996), and the two-volume The Philosophy of Science: An Encyclopedia (2006).
Anya Plutynski is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah. She specializes in the history and philosophy of science.
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