Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology
by Editor: Francisco J. Ayala (University of California, Irvine, USA ); Editor: Robert Arp (The Analysis Group, LLC, USA )Format: eBook
Pub. Date: 2009-11-01
Publisher(s): Wiley-Blackwell
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Summary
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
Table of Contents
| Notes on Contributors | |
| General Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| Is It Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| It Is Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics | |
| It Is Not Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics | |
| Have Traits Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| Traits Have Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage | |
| Traits Have Not Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage | |
| Are Species Real? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| Species Are Real Biological Entities | |
| Species Are Not Uniquely Real Biological Entities | |
| Does Selection Operate Primarily on Genes? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| Selection Does Operate Primarily on Genes: In Defense of the Gene as the Unit of Selection | |
| Selection Does Not Operate Primarily on Genes | |
| Are Microevolution and Macroevolution Governed by the Same Processes? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| Microevolution and Macroevolution Are Governed by the Same Processes | |
| Microevolution and Macroevolution Are Not Governed by the Same Processes | |
| Does Evolutionary Developmental Biology Offer a Significant Challenge to the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| Evolutionary Developmental Biology Does Offer a Significant Challenge to the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm | |
| Evolutionary Developmental Biology Does Not Offer a Significant Challenge to the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm | |
| Were the Basic Components of the Human Mind Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch | |
| The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Not Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch | |
| Does Memetics Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| Memetics Does Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution | |
| Memetics Does Not Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution: A Developmental Perspective | |
| Can the Biological Sciences Act as a Ground for Ethics? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| The Biological Sciences Can Act as a Ground for Ethics | |
| What the Biological Sciences Can and Cannot Contribute to Ethics | |
| Is There a Place for Intelligent Design in the Philosophy of Biology? | |
| Introduction | |
| References and Further Reading | |
| There Is a Place for Intelligent Design in the Philosophy of Biology: Intelligent Design in (Philosophy of) Biology: Some Legitimate Roles | |
| There Is No Place for Intelligent Design in the Philosophy of Biology: Intelligent Design Is Not Science | |
| Index | |
| Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved. |
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