Current Themes in Theoretical Biology
Current Themes in Theoretical Biology

Author: Thomas A.C. Reydon

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2005-12-05

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1402029047

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The present volume originated in 2001 when we, together with our publishing editors at (then) Kluwer Academic Publishers, realized that the th following year the 50 volume of our journal Acta Biotheoretica would see the light. We felt that this milestone should not pass unnoticed and that the appropriate way to mark it would be the publication of a special volume of papers on theoretical biology. While editing this book during 2003 and early 2004, we realized that another milestone was not far off: in 2005 it will be 70 years ago that the journal was founded. We hope that the book lying before you will serve well to mark both events. The papers collected here have been written on invitation by representatives of the theoretical biology community in The Netherlands. They are intended to reflect the entire spectrum of topics on which Acta Biotheoretica publishes, ranging from philosophy of biology on one end to mathematical biology on the other. All chapters (except our own introductory one) have been peer reviewed according to the standards that are maintained with respect to regular submissions to Acta Biotheoretica.

The Philosophy of Biology
The Philosophy of Biology

Author: Kostas Kampourakis

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-06-18

Total Pages: 765

ISBN-13: 9400765371

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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.

A Companion to the Philosophy of Biology
A Companion to the Philosophy of Biology

Author: Sahotra Sarkar

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2010-11-08

Total Pages: 618

ISBN-13: 1444337858

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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.

Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology
Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology

Author: Stefan Linquist

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-03-02

Total Pages: 652

ISBN-13: 135191135X

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The impact of evolutionary theory on the philosophy of science has been no less profound than its impact on the science of biology itself. Advances in this theory provide a rich set of examples for thinking about the nature of scientific explanation and the structure of science. Many of the developments in our understanding of evolution resulted from contributions by both philosophers and biologists engaging over theoretical questions of mutual interest. This volume traces some of the most influential exchanges in this field over the last few decades. Focal topics include the nature of biological functions, adaptationism as an explanatory and methodological doctrine, the levels of selection debate, the concepts of fitness and drift, and the relationship of evolutionary to developmental biology.

A Critical Overview of Biological Functions
A Critical Overview of Biological Functions

Author: Justin Garson

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-03-30

Total Pages: 119

ISBN-13: 3319320203

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This book is a critical survey of and guidebook to the literature on biological functions. It ties in with current debates and developments, and at the same time, it looks back on the state of discourse in naturalized teleology prior to the 1970s. It also presents three significant new proposals. First, it describes the generalized selected effects theory, which is one version of the selected effects theory, maintaining that the function of a trait consists in the activity that led to its differential persistence or reproduction in a population, and not merely its differential reproduction. Secondly, it advances “within-discipline pluralism” (as opposed to between-discipline pluralism) a new form of function pluralism, which emphasizes the coexistence of function concepts within diverse biological sub-disciplines. Lastly, it provides a critical assessment of recent alternatives to the selected effects theory of function, namely, the weak etiological theory and the systems-theoretic theory. The book argues that, to the extent that functions purport to offer causal explanations for the existence of a trait, there are no viable alternatives to the selected effects view. The debate about biological functions is still as relevant and important to biology and philosophy as it ever was. Recent controversies surrounding the ENCODE Project Consortium in genetics, the nature of psychiatric classification, and the value of ecological restoration, all point to the continuing relevance to biology of philosophical discussion about the nature of functions. In philosophy, ongoing debates about the nature of biological information, intentionality, health and disease, mechanism, and even biological trait classification, are closely related to debates about biological functions.

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology
Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology

Author: Francisco J. Ayala

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2009-12-07

Total Pages: 440

ISBN-13: 1405159987

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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

On Biopolitics
On Biopolitics

Author: Marco Piasentier

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-07-07

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 1351067087

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In On Biopolitics, Marco Piasentier discusses one of the most persistent questions in biopolitical theory – the divide between nature and language – and attempts to redraw the conceptual map which has traditionally defined the permissible paths to address this question. Taking his cue from Foucault’s exhortation to think philologically and biologically, Piasentier traverses the main theoretical and methodological frameworks which have informed the biopolitical debate on nature and language, biology and politics. Biopolitical theory becomes the center of gravity for an investigation encompassing diverse philosophical models, from the Heideggerian linguistic turn to post-Darwinian naturalism. The divide between traditions is not proof of an impossible encounter, but constitutes the site for a new conceptual topography. Working in this interdisciplinary space, Piasentier puts into question the command of language and the ends of nature: two vestiges of a ‘human, all too human’ worldview that preclude the possibility of thinking philologically and biologically about biopolitics. On Biopolitics: An Inquiry into Nature and Language is essential reading for humanities and social sciences scholars with an interest in moving beyond debates about nature and language.

Genetic Analysis
Genetic Analysis

Author: Raphael Falk

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2009-05-14

Total Pages: 331

ISBN-13: 0521884187

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There is a paradox lying at the heart of the study of heredity. To understand the ways in which features are passed on down from one generation to the next, we have to dig deeper and deeper into the ultimate nature of things - from organisms, to genes, to molecules. And yet as we do this, increasingly we find we are out of focus with our subjects. What has any of this to do with the living, breathing organisms with which we started? Organisms are living. Molecules are not. How do we relate one to the other? In Genetic Analysis, one of the most important empirical scientists in the field in the twentieth century attempts, through a study of history and drawing on his own vast experience as a practitioner, to face this paradox head-on. His book offers a deep and innovative understanding of our ways of thinking about heredity.

The Species Problem
The Species Problem

Author: Igor Ya. Pavlinov

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2023-02-24

Total Pages: 333

ISBN-13: 1000833208

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The general notion of species is one of the most fundamental in biology. But an idea of species is also one of the most persistent unresolved obsessions of biologists, philosophers and theoreticians. This new book investigates the multifaceted problem species as a "conceptual envelope" of that notion. Contemporary conceptualists and evolutionary epistemology allow for a fresh look by analyzing the framework of history viewed as changes ordered by changing philosophical-scientific contexts. In this analysis, the species problem is characterized in a pluralistic non-trivial manner, in contrast to a more monistic "accepted view." Key Features Provides new insights into the persistent species "problem." Focuses on conceptual history and identifies pivotal landmarks in the history of the concept of species. Argues for a scientific consistency of species pluralism. Discusses the "evolving species-hood" in the context of new essentialism. Related Titles • Wilkins, J. S, et al., eds. Species Problems and Beyond: Contemporary Issues in Philosophy and Practice (ISBN 978-1-0322-2147-2) • Mishler, B. D. What, if anything, are species? (ISBN 978-1-4987-1454-9) • Wilkins, J. S. Species: The Evolution of the Idea, Second Edition (ISBN 978-1-1380-5574-2) • Sigwart, J. D. What Species Mean: A User's Guide to the Units of Biodiversity (ISBN 978-1-4987-9937-9)

Not by Design
Not by Design

Author: John Reiss

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2009-08-10

Total Pages: 441

ISBN-13: 0520944402

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More than two centuries ago, William Paley introduced his famous metaphor of the universe as a watch made by the Creator. For Paley, the exquisite structure of the universe necessitated a designer. Today, some 150 years since Darwin's On the Origin of Species was published, the argument of design is seeing a revival. This provocative work tells how Darwin left the door open for this revival--and at the same time argues for a new conceptual framework that avoids the problematic teleology inherent in Darwin's formulation of natural selection. In a wide-ranging discussion of the historical and philosophical dimensions of evolutionary theory from the ancient Greeks to today, John Reiss argues that we should look to the principle of the conditions for existence, first formulated before On the Origin of Species by the French paleontologist Georges Cuvier, to clarify the relation of adaptation to evolution. Reiss suggests that Cuvier's principle can help resolve persistent issues in evolutionary biology, including the proper definition of natural selection, the distinction between natural selection and genetic drift, and the meaning of genetic load. Moreover, he shows how this principle can help unite diverse areas of biology, ranging from quantitative genetics and the theory of the levels of selection to evo-devo, ecology, physiology, and conservation biology.