Front cover image for The philosophy of biology : an episodic history

The philosophy of biology : an episodic history

"Is life different from the non-living? If so, how? And how, in that case, does biology, as the study of living things, differ from other sciences? These questions lie at the heart of The Philosophy of Biology, and are traced through an exploration of episodes in the history of biology and philosophy. The book begins with Aristotle, then moves on to Descartes, comparing his position with that of Harvey. From the eighteenth century, the authors consider Buffon and Kant. From the nineteenth century, the authors examine the Cuvier-Geoffroy debate, pre-Darwinian geology and natural theology, Darwin, and the transition from Darwin to the revival of Mendelism. Two chapters on the twentieth century deal with the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis and such questions as the species problem, the reducibility or otherwise of biology to physics and chemistry, and the problem of biological explanation in terms of function and teleology. The final chapters reflect on the question of human nature and the implications of the philosophy of biology for the philosophy of science in general."--Jacket
Print Book, English, 2004
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004
History
xxi, 416 pages ; 24 cm.
9780521643719, 9780521643801, 0521643716, 0521643805
52980801
1. Aristotle and after; 2. Descartes, Harvey and the emergence of modern mechanism; 3. The eighteenth century: Buffon; 4. The eighteenth century II: Kant the development of German biology; 5. Before Darwin I: A continental controversy; 6. Before Darwin II: British controversies about geology and natural theology; 7. Darwin; 8. Evolution and heredity from Darwin to the rise of genetics; 9. The modern evolutionary synthesis and its discontents; 10. Some themes in recent philosophy of biology: The species problem, reducibility, function and teleology; 11. Biology and human nature; 12. The philosophy of biology and the philosophy of science.