Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology

Francisco J. Ayala, Robert Arp

John Wiley & Sons, 19. nov. 2009 - 440 sider

This collection of specially commissioned essays puts top scholars head to head to debate the central issues in the lively and fast growing field of philosophy of biology

Brings together original essays on ten of the most hotly debated questions in philosophy of biology
Lively head-to-head debate format sharply defines the issues and paves the way for further discussion
Includes coverage of the new and vital area of evolutionary developmental biology, as well as the concept of a unified species, the role of genes in selection, the differences between micro- and macro-evolution, and much more
Each section features an introduction to the topic as well as suggestions for further reading
Offers an accessible overview of this fast-growing and dynamic field, whilst also capturing the imagination of professional philosophers and biologists

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PART I IS IT POSSIBLE TOREDUCE BIOLOGICALEXPLANATIONS TOEXPLANATIONS INCHEMISTRY ANDORPHYSICS?	13

References and Further Reading	15

CHAPTER ONE It Is Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry andor Physics	19

CHAPTER TWO It Is Not Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry andor Physics	32

PART II HAVE TRAITS EVOLVED TO FUNCTION THE WAY THEY DO BECAUSE OF A PAST ADVANTAGE?	49

References and Further Reading	51

CHAPTER THREE Traits Have Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage	53

CHAPTER FOUR Traits Have Not Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage	72

References and Further Reading	197

CHAPTER ELEVEN Evolutionary Developmental Biology Offers a Significant Challenge to the NeoDarwinian Paradigm	199

CHAPTER TWELVE Evolutionary Developmental Biology Does Not Offer a Significant Challenge to the NeoDarwinian Paradigm	213

PART VII WERE THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF THE HUMAN MIND SOLIDIFIED DURING THE PLEISTOCENE EPOCH?	227

References and Further Reading	228

CHAPTER THIRTEEN The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch	231

CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Not Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch	243

PART VIII DOES MEMETICS PROVIDE A USEFUL WAY OF UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL EVOLUTION?	253

PART III ARE SPECIES REAL?	87

References and Further Reading	88

CHAPTER FIVE Species Are Real Biological Entities	91

CHAPTER SIX Species Are Not Uniquely Real Biological Entities	110

PART IV DOES SELECTION OPERATE PRIMARILY ON GENES?	123

References and Further Reading	125

CHAPTER SEVEN Selection Does Operate Primarily on Genes In Defense of the Gene as the Unit of Selection	127

CHAPTER EIGHT Selection Does Not Operate Primarily on Genes	141

PART V ARE MICROEVOLUTION AND MACROEVOLUTION GOVERNED BY THE SAME PROCESSES?	165

References and Further Reading	166

CHAPTER NINE Microevolution and Macroevolution are Governed by the Same Processes	169

CHAPTER TEN Microevolution and Macroevolution Are Not Governed by the Same Processes	180

PART VI DOES EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY OFFER A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO THE NEODARWINIAN PARADI...	195

References and Further Reading	254

CHAPTER FIFTEEN Memetics Does Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution	255

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Memetics Does Not Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution	273

PART IX CAN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES ACT AS A GROUND FOR ETHICS?	293

References and Further Reading	295

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN The Biological Sciences Can Act as a Ground for Ethics	297

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN What the Biological Sciences Can and Cannot Contribute to Ethics	316

PART X IS THERE A PLACE FOR INTELLIGENT DESIGN IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY?	337

References and Further Reading	340

CHAPTER NINETEEN There Is a Place for Intelligent Design in the Philosophy of Biology Intelligent Design in Philosophy of Biology Some Legiti...	343

CHAPTER TWENTY There Is No Place for Intelligent Design in the Philosophy of Biology Intelligent Design Is Not Science	364

Index	391

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Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology
Francisco J. Ayala,Robert Arp
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Francisco J. Ayala,Robert Arp
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Vanlige uttrykk og setninger

adaptive allele analysis animals argue argument Ayala behavior biological species biologists Cambridge University Press capacity causal cell chromosomes clades Cladistics claim Claridge cognitive complex components cultural evolution Cummins Darwin Dawkins debate distinct effects emergent entities environment epigenetic ethics evo-devo evolutionary biology evolutionary change evolutionary developmental biology evolutionary processes evolutionary psychology evolved example existence explain function genetic genome Gould Harvard University Press heritable human individual intelligent design interactions lineages macroevolution macroevolutionary processes Mayr memes memetics Mishler Modern Synthesis molecular moral morphological mutations natural selection neo-Darwinian norms organismal organisms Oxford University Press phenotypic philosophy of biology Philosophy of Science PhyloCode physical Pleistocene population principles problem produce properties proteins question regulatory relevant replicators reproductive role Ruse Sapienza scientific selection acts selectionist accounts sense social speciation species selection structure systematic taxa teleological theory things traits units of selection variation Wilson Wimsatt York

Om forfatteren (2009)

Francisco J. Ayala is Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, USA. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. In 2001, he received the National Medal of Science. Ayala has published more than 950 articles and is the author or editor of 31 books. He has been named the Renaissance Man of Evolutionary Biology by The New York Times.

Robert Arp is an analyst at The Analysis Group, LLC who has interests in philosophy of biology and ontology in the informatics sense. He is the author of Scenario Visualization: An Evolutionary Account of Creative Problem Solving (2008), and co-editor of Philosophy of Biology: An Anthology (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009).

Bibliografisk informasjon

Tittel	Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology Contemporary Debates in Philosophy
Redaktører	Francisco J. Ayala, Robert Arp
Utgiver	John Wiley & Sons, 2009
ISBN	1444314939, 9781444314939
Lengde	440 sider

Eksporter sitat	BiBTeX EndNote RefMan

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