This book is an introduction into the reductionism-holism debate, for aspiring as well as accomplished scientists. It is intended for those working in, or preparing for, research in any scientific field-ranging from the physical sciences to the life sciences to the behavioral sciences and the social sciences. It is certainly not meant for people specialized in areas dealing with the specific issue of reductionism in a strict philosophical sense; they won't learn much new from this book. In other words, this is not a monograph with specialized, original research, but rather an initiation into the debate-more like an introductory textbook, if you will.
This collection of papers investigates the most recent debates about individualism and holism in the philosophy of social science. The debates revolve mainly around two issues: firstly, whether social phenomena exist sui generis and how they relate to individuals. This is the focus of discussions between ontological individualists and ontological holists. Secondly, to what extent social scientific explanations may and should, focus on individuals and social phenomena respectively. This issue is debated amongst methodological holists and methodological individualists. In social science and philosophy, both issues have been intensively discussed and new versions of the dispute have appeared just as new arguments have been advanced. At present, the individualism/holism debate is extremely lively and this book reflects the major positions and perspectives within the debate. This volume is also relevant to debates about two closely related issues in social science: the micro-macro debate and the agency-structure debate. This book presents contributions from key figures in both social science and philosophy, in the first such collection on this topic to be published since the 1970s.
Holism and reductionism are traditionally seen as incompatible views or approaches to nature. Here Looijen argues that they should rather be seen as mutually dependent and hence co-operating research programmes. He sheds some interesting new light on the emergence thesis, its relation to the reduction thesis, and on the role and status of functional explanations in biology. He discusses several examples of reduction in both biology and ecology, showing the mutual dependence of holistic and reductionist research programmes. Ecologists are offered separate chapters, clarifying some major, yet highly and controversial ecological concepts, such as `community', `habitat', and `niche'. The book is the first in-depth study of the philosophy of ecology. Readership: Specialists in the philosophy of science, especially the philosophy of biology, biologists and ecologists interested in the philosophy of their discipline. Also of interest to other scientists concerned with the holism-reductionism issue.
DT These highly successful revision guides have been brought right up-to-date for the new A Level specifications introduced in September 2000.DT Oxford Revision Guides are highly effective for both individual revision and classroom summary work. The unique visual format makes the key concepts and processes, and the links between them, easier to memorize.DT Students will save valuable revision time by using these notes instead of condensing their own.DT In fact, many students are choosing to buy their own copies so that they can colour code or highlight them as they might do with their own revision notes.
The Extending Knowledge and Skills series is a fresh approach to A Level Psychology, designed for greater demands of the new AQA specification and assessment, and especially written to stretch and challenge students aiming for higher grades. Dealing with the compulsory topic of AQA’s Paper 3: Issues and Debates, this book is deliberately laid out with the assessment objectives in mind, from AO1: Knowledge and understanding material, followed by AO2: Application material, to AO3: Evaluation and analysis material. Providing the most in-depth, accessible coverage available of individual topics in Paper 3, the text is packed full of pedagogical features, including: Question Time features to ensure that the reader is consistently challenged throughout the book. New research sections clearly distinguished within each chapter to ensure readers have access to the most cutting-edge material. A clear focus on the assessment objectives for the Paper topic to ensure readers know when and where to apply knowledge. The use of example answers with examiner-style comments to provide greater insight into how to/how not to answer exam questions. An engaging, relevant and challenging text that broadens student understanding beyond that of the average textbook, this is the essential companion for any student taking the AQA A level Paper 3 in Psychology.
Graduate medical education (GME) is a continually evolving, highly dynamic area within the complex fabric of the modern health-care environment. Given the rapidly changing regulatory, financial, scientific and technical aspects of GME, many institutions and programs face daily challenges of "keeping up" with the most recent developments within this ever-more-sophisticated operational environment. Organizational excellence is a requirement for the seamless functioning of GME programs, especially when one consider the multiple disciplines and stakeholders involved. The goal of the current book cycle, titled Contemporary Topics in Graduate Medical Education, beginning with this inaugural tome, is to provide GME professionals with a practical and readily applicable set of reference materials. More than 20 distinguished authors from some of the top teaching institutions in the US, touch upon some of the most relevant, contemporary, and at times controversial topics, including provider burnout, gender equality issues, trainee wellness, scholarly activities and requirements, and many other theoretical and practical considerations. We hope that the reader will find this book to be a valuable and high quality resource of a broad range of GME-related topics. It is the Editors' goal to create a multi-tome platform that will become the definitive go-to reference for professionals navigating the complex landscape of modern graduate medical education.
As concerns about humankind’s relationship with the environment move inexorably up the agenda, this volume tells the story of the history of the concept of ecology itself and adds much to the historical and philosophical debate over this multifaceted discipline. The text provides readers with an overview of the theoretical, institutional and historical formation of ecological knowledge. The varied local conditions of early ecology are considered in detail, while epistemological problems that lie on the borders of ecology, such as disunity and complexity, are discussed. The book traces the various phases of the history of the concept of ecology itself, from its 19th century origins and antecedents, through the emergence of the environmental movement in the later 20th century, to the future, and how ecology might be located in the environmental science framework of the 21st century. The study of ‘ecological’ phenomena has never been confined solely to the work of researchers who consider themselves ecologists. It is rather a field of knowledge in which a plurality of practices, concepts and theories are developed. Thus, there exist numerous disciplinary subdivisions and research programmes within the field, the boundaries of which remain blurred. As a consequence, the deliberation to adequately identify the ecological field of knowledge, its epistemic and institutional setting, is still going on. This will be of central importance not only in locating ecology in the frame of 21st century environmental sciences but also for a better understanding of how nature and culture are intertwined in debates about pressing problems, such as climate change, the protection of species diversity, or the management of renewable resources.
