Contemporary debates in philosophy of biology
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
1 online resource (xii, 426 pages).
9781283204712, 9786613204714, 9781444314922, 9781444314939, 1283204711, 6613204714, 1444314920, 1444314939
748593362
Print version:
""Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology""; ""Contents""; ""Notes on Contributors""; ""General Introduction""; ""References and Further Reading""; ""PART I IS IT POSSIBLE TOREDUCE BIOLOGICALEXPLANATIONS TOEXPLANATIONS INCHEMISTRY AND/ORPHYSICS?""; ""Introduction""; ""References and Further Reading""; ""CHAPTER ONE It Is Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics""; ""CHAPTER TWO It Is Not Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics"" ""PART II HAVE TRAITS EVOLVED TO FUNCTION THE WAY THEY DO BECAUSE OF A PAST ADVANTAGE?""""Introduction""; ""References and Further Reading""; ""CHAPTER THREE Traits Have Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage""; ""CHAPTER FOUR Traits Have Not Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage""; ""PART III ARE SPECIES REAL?""; ""Introduction""; ""References and Further Reading""; ""CHAPTER FIVE Species Are Real Biological Entities""; ""CHAPTER SIX Species Are Not Uniquely Real Biological Entities""; ""PART IV DOES SELECTION OPERATE PRIMARILY ON GENES?"" ""Introduction""""References and Further Reading""; ""CHAPTER SEVEN Selection Does Operate Primarily on Genes: In Defense of the Gene as the Unit of Selection""; ""CHAPTER EIGHT Selection Does Not Operate Primarily on Genes""; ""PART V ARE MICROEVOLUTION AND MACROEVOLUTION GOVERNED BY THE SAME PROCESSES?""; ""Introduction""; ""References and Further Reading""; ""CHAPTER NINE Microevolution and Macroevolution are Governed by the Same Processes""; ""CHAPTER TEN Microevolution and Macroevolution Are Not Governed by the Same Processes"" ""PART VI DOES EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY OFFER A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO THE NEO-DARWINIAN PARADIGM?""""Introduction""; ""References and Further Reading""; ""CHAPTER ELEVEN Evolutionary Developmental Biology Offers a Significant Challenge to the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm""; ""CHAPTER TWELVE Evolutionary Developmental Biology Does Not Offer a Significant Challenge to the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm""; ""PART VII WERE THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF THE HUMAN MIND SOLIDIFIED DURING THE PLEISTOCENE EPOCH?""; ""Introduction""; ""References and Further Reading"" ""CHAPTER THIRTEEN The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch""""CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Not Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch""; ""PART VIII DOES MEMETICS PROVIDE A USEFUL WAY OF UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL EVOLUTION?""; ""Introduction""; ""References and Further Reading""; ""CHAPTER FIFTEEN Memetics Does Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution""; ""CHAPTER SIXTEEN Memetics Does Not Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution""
English