Philosophy of Biology - Softcover

Ruse, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1591025273 ISBN 13: 9781591025276

Verlag: G38-Prometheus, 2007

Inhaltsangabe

Biologists study life in its various physical forms, while philosophers of biology seek answers to questions about the nature, purpose, and impact of this research. What permits us to distinguish between living and nonliving things even though both are made of the same minerals? Is the complex structure of organisms proof that a creative force is working its will in the physical universe, or are existing life-forms the random result of an evolutionary process working itself out over eons of time? What moral and social questions arise regarding modern advances in biotechnology? What is more relevant to human nature: genetics or sociocultural influences? Is Darwinism the death-knell of God?

These are just some of the vital questions addressed by a distinguished group of philosophers and scientists which includes: Aristotle, Francisco J. Ayala, , Michael Benton, Tom Bethell, Joe Cain, David Castle, Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins, Michael Denton, A.G.N. Flew, Stephen Jay Gould, J.B.S. Haldane, John F. Haught, D. W. E. Hone, James W. Kirchner, James Lovelock, Jane Maienschein, Ernst Mayr, Gregory M. Mikkelson, Leslie Orgal, William Paley, the Prince of Wales, Christopher Pynes, Richard A. Richards, Mark Ridley, Holmes Rolston III, Michael Ruse, Lee Silver, Elliott Sober, Kim Sterelny, Derek Turner, and Edward O. Wilson.

This second edition contains material on design without selection, testing macroevolutionary claims, recent biotechnological issues, key ecological concerns, the Gaia hypothesis, genetically modified foods, and the so-called intelligent design movement.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Michael Ruse (Tallahassee, FL) is the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University and the author or editor of The Stem Cell Controversy; Cloning: Responsible Science or Technomadness?; Taking Darwin Seriously; Philosophy of Biology; and But Is It Science?, among many other works.

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PHILOSOPHY of BIOLOGY

Prometheus Books

Copyright © 2007 Michael Ruse
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-59102-527-6

Contents

INTRODUCTION Michael Ruse.....................................................................................................9BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONCause and Effect in Biology Ernst Mayr........................................................................................49LIFE AND ITS ORIGINThe Generation of Animals Aristotle...........................................................................................63What Is Life? J. B. S. Haldane................................................................................................67The Origin of Life: A Review of Facts and Speculations Leslie E. Orgel.........................................................71EXPLAINING DESIGNNatural Theology William Paley................................................................................................83Origin of Species Charles Darwin..............................................................................................87Beyond the Reach of Chance Michael Denton.....................................................................................93Accumulating Small Change Richard Dawkins.....................................................................................109DARWINISMThe Structure of Darwinism A. G. N. Flew......................................................................................117Darwin's Mistake Tom Bethell..................................................................................................133Darwin's Untimely Burial Stephen Jay Gould....................................................................................141MACRO-EVOLUTIONDarwinism and the Expansion of Evolutionary Theory Stephen Jay Gould..........................................................147Beyond Darwinism? The Challenge of Macroevolution to the Synthetic Theory of Evolution Francisco J. Ayala.....................167The Evolution of Large Size: How Does Cope's Rule Work? David W. E. Hone and Michael J. Benton................................185Beyond Detective Work: Empirical Testing in Paleobiology Derek Turner.........................................................193CLASSIFICATIONSpecies Concepts and Their Application Ernst Mayr.............................................................................203Solving the Species Problem: Kitcher and Hull on Sets and Individuals Richard A. Richards.....................................215Principles of Classification Mark Ridley......................................................................................229HUMAN NATUREHeredity Edward O. Wilson.....................................................................................................243Sociobiology and the Theory of Natural Selection Stephen Jay Gould............................................................251The Peculiar Primate Kim Sterelny.............................................................................................263G. M. FOODSA Royal View Prince of Wales..................................................................................................277An Open Letter to Prince Charles Richard Dawkins..............................................................................283The Environment's Best Friend: GM or Organic? Lee M. Silver...................................................................287Acceptance of Biotechnology in a Risk Society David Castle....................................................................297BIOLOGICAL METAPHORSWhat Is Gaia? James Lovelock..................................................................................................307The Gaia Hypothesis: Fact, Theory, and Wishful Thinking James W. Kirchner.....................................................309Are We at War with Nature? Derek D. Turner....................................................................................329ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICSOn Behalf of Bioexuberance Holmes Rolston, III................................................................................347Biophilia and the Conservation Ethic Edward O. Wilson.........................................................................355Philosophical Problems for Environmentalism Elliott Sober.....................................................................365Toward a General Theory of Diversity and Equality Gregory M. Mikkelson........................................................385WHEN LIFE BEGINSReport of the South Dakota Task Force to Study Abortion........................................................................393South Dakota Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act (HB 1215)............................................................403How and When Does a Life Begin? Jane Maienschein..............................................................................407H. R. 810: Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005..........................................................................421Statement of Administration Policy H. R. 810: Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act...............................................423Why Is There a Stem Cell Debate? And How to Depoliticize It Christopher A. Pynes..............................................425GOD AND BIOLOGYThe First Book of Moses, Called Genesis........................................................................................435Rethinking Attacks on Evolution: Lessons From the 1925 Scopes Trial Joe Cain..................................................439Does Evolution Rule Out God's Existence? John F. Haught.......................................................................457FURTHER READING................................................................................................................471

Introduction

What is philosophy? What is biology? What is the philosophy of biology? Let me start with the second question, which might seem the easiest. Biology, surely, is the science of life, of living things. But, what is a living thing? Examples come readily to mind. Humans are living things, living humans, that is! And so are snakes and oak trees and the bacteria that make food go bad. On the other hand, planets are not living things, and neither are shovels or spades or rocks or mountains or the sea. "Or the sea?" Is it irrational to talk about "the living ocean" and how it ebbs and flows, attacks and protects, helps and hinders? Or, what about a thunderstorm, if you do not believe the sea has the kind of self-maintenance often associated with life? A thunderstorm picks up energy as it goes along, throwing out waste and destruction behind it, just like an elephant, only more so.

Now, at this moment, I do not want to press this particular train of thought. Apart from anything else, we shall be coming back to the notion of "life." Rather, I want to use the discussion to make a point. What have we been doing in the last paragraph? We have certainly not been practicing biology-no dead frogs were laid out on a table. Rather, we have been thinking about biology. And this provides a clue to our other questions: to philosophy in general and to the philosophy of biology in particular. Philosophy is a second-order inquiry that looks at other subjects-politics, art, religion, or, in our case, biology-and asks questions about them. The biologist qua biologist dissects and studies frogs and humans and oak trees and bacteria. But, when it comes to questions about what the biologist is doing, then we are in the realm of philosophy.

Is this not all somewhat presumptuous? A nonexpert in the field...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: G38-Prometheus
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2007
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1591025273
• ISBN 13: 9781591025276
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Auflage: 2
• Anzahl der Seiten: 473
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Simon and Schuster Netherlands BV; info@simonandschuster.nl; ; Herculesplein 96; Utrecht; 3584 AA; Niederlande