Contemporary Debates In Philosophy Of Biology

Contemporary Debates In Philosophy Of Biology Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle version is available to download in english. Read online anytime anywhere directly from your device. Click on the download button below to get a free pdf file of Contemporary Debates In Philosophy Of Biology book. This book definitely worth reading, it is an incredibly well-written.

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology

Author : Francisco J. Ayala,Robert Arp
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 440 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2009-11-19
Category : Science
ISBN : 1444314939

Get Book

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology by Francisco J. Ayala,Robert Arp Pdf

This collection of specially commissioned essays puts top scholarshead to head to debate the central issues in the lively and fastgrowing field of philosophy of biology Brings together original essays on ten of the most hotlydebated questions in philosophy of biology Lively head-to-head debate format sharply defines the issuesand paves the way for further discussion Includes coverage of the new and vital area of evolutionarydevelopmental biology, as well as the concept of a unified species,the role of genes in selection, the differences between micro- andmacro-evolution, and much more Each section features an introduction to the topic as well assuggestions for further reading Offers an accessible overview of this fast-growing and dynamicfield, whilst also capturing the imagination of professionalphilosophers and biologists

Contemporary Debates in Bioethics

Author : Arthur L. Caplan,Robert Arp
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 536 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2013-09-10
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9781444337136

Get Book

Contemporary Debates in Bioethics by Arthur L. Caplan,Robert Arp Pdf

A unique guide to the design and implementation of simulation software This book offers a concise introduction to the art of building simulation software, collecting the most important concepts and algorithms in one place. Written for both individuals new to the field of modeling and simulation as well as experienced practitioners, this guide explains the design and implementation of simulation software used in the engineering of large systems while presenting the relevant mathematical elements, concept discussions, and code development. The book approaches the topic from the perspective of Zeigler’s theory of modeling and simulation, introducing the theory’s fundamental concepts and showing how to apply them to engineering problems. Readers will learn five necessary skills for building simulations of complicated systems: Working with fundamental abstractions for simulating dynamic systems Developing basic simulation algorithms for continuous and discrete event models Combining continuous and discrete event simulations into a coherent whole Applying strategies for testing a simulation Understanding the theoretical foundations of the modeling constructs and simulation algorithms The central chapters of the book introduce, explain, and demonstrate the elements of the theory that are most important for building simulation tools. They are bracketed by applications to robotics, control and communications, and electric power systems; these comprehensive examples clearly illustrate how the concepts and algorithms are put to use. Readers will explore the design of object-oriented simulation programs, simulation using multi-core processors, and the integration of simulators into larger software systems. The focus on software makes this book particularly useful for computer science and computer engineering courses in simulation that focus on building simulators. It is indispensable reading for undergraduate and graduate students studying modeling and simulation, as well as for practicing scientists and engineers involved in the development of simulation tools.

Philosophy of Biology

Author : Alex Rosenberg,Daniel W. McShea
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 420 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2007-12-19
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781134375370

Get Book

Philosophy of Biology by Alex Rosenberg,Daniel W. McShea Pdf

Is life a purely physical process? What is human nature? Which of our traits is essential to us? In this volume, Daniel McShea and Alex Rosenberg – a biologist and a philosopher, respectively – join forces to create a new gateway to the philosophy of biology; making the major issues accessible and relevant to biologists and philosophers alike. Exploring concepts such as supervenience; the controversies about genocentrism and genetic determinism; and the debate about major transitions central to contemporary thinking about macroevolution; the authors lay out the broad terms in which we should assess the impact of biology on human capacities, social institutions and ethical values.

Philosophy of Biology

Author : Peter Godfrey-Smith
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2016-09-06
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780691174679

Get Book

Philosophy of Biology by Peter Godfrey-Smith Pdf

An essential introduction to the philosophy of biology This is a concise, comprehensive, and accessible introduction to the philosophy of biology written by a leading authority on the subject. Geared to philosophers, biologists, and students of both, the book provides sophisticated and innovative coverage of the central topics and many of the latest developments in the field. Emphasizing connections between biological theories and other areas of philosophy, and carefully explaining both philosophical and biological terms, Peter Godfrey-Smith discusses the relation between philosophy and science; examines the role of laws, mechanistic explanation, and idealized models in biological theories; describes evolution by natural selection; and assesses attempts to extend Darwin's mechanism to explain changes in ideas, culture, and other phenomena. Further topics include functions and teleology, individuality and organisms, species, the tree of life, and human nature. The book closes with detailed, cutting-edge treatments of the evolution of cooperation, of information in biology, and of the role of communication in living systems at all scales. Authoritative and up-to-date, this is an essential guide for anyone interested in the important philosophical issues raised by the biological sciences.

Philosophy of Biology

Author : Alexander Rosenberg,Daniel W. McShea
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 241 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2008
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780415315920

Get Book

Philosophy of Biology by Alexander Rosenberg,Daniel W. McShea Pdf

Is life a purely physical process? What is human nature? Which of our traits is essential to us? In this volume, Daniel McShea and Alex Rosenberg – a biologist and a philosopher, respectively – join forces to create a new gateway to the philosophy of biology; making the major issues accessible and relevant to biologists and philosophers alike. Exploring concepts such as supervenience; the controversies about genocentrism and genetic determinism; and the debate about major transitions central to contemporary thinking about macroevolution; the authors lay out the broad terms in which we should assess the impact of biology on human capacities, social institutions and ethical values.

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Science

Author : Christopher Hitchcock
Publisher : Wiley-Blackwell
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2004-01-09
Category : Science
ISBN : 1405101520

Get Book

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Science by Christopher Hitchcock Pdf

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Science contains sixteen original essays by leading authors in the philosophy of science, each one defending the affirmative or negative answer to one of eight specific questions, including: Are there laws of social science? Are causes physically connected to their effects? Is the mind a system of modules shaped by natural selection? Brings together fresh debates on eight of the most controversial issues in the philosophy of science. Questions addressed include: “Are there laws of social science?”; “Are causes physically connected to their effects?”; “Is the mind a system of modules shaped by natural selection?” Each question is treated by a pair of opposing essays written by eminent scholars, and especially commissioned for the volume. Lively debate format sharply defines the issues, and paves the way for further discussion. Will serve as an accessible introduction to the major topics in contemporary philosophy of science, whilst also capturing the imagination of professional philosophers.

Philosophy of Biology

Author : Alex Rosenberg,Robert Arp
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 465 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2009-04-27
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781405183178

Get Book

Philosophy of Biology by Alex Rosenberg,Robert Arp Pdf

By combining excerpts from key historical writings with editors’ introductions and further reading material, Philosophy of Biology: An Anthology offers a comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date collection of the field’s most significant works. Addresses central questions such as ‘What is life?’ and ‘How did it begin?’, and the most current research and arguments on evolution and developmental biology Editorial notes throughout the text define, clarify, and qualify ideas, concepts and arguments Includes material on evolutionary psychology and evolutionary developmental biology not found in other standard philosophy of biology anthologies Further reading material assists novices in delving deeper into research in philosophy of biology

Contemporary Debates in Metaphysics

Author : Theodore Sider,John Hawthorne,Dean W. Zimmerman
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2013-05-20
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781118712320

Get Book

Contemporary Debates in Metaphysics by Theodore Sider,John Hawthorne,Dean W. Zimmerman Pdf

In a series of thought-provoking and original essays, eighteenleading philosophers engage in head-to-head debates of nine of themost cutting edge topics in contemporary metaphysics. Explores the fundamental questions in contemporary metaphysicsin a series of eighteen original essays - 16 of which are newlycommissioned for this volume Features an introductory essay by the editors on the nature ofmetaphysics to prepare the reader for ongoing discussions Offers readers the unique opportunity to observe leadingphilosophers engage in head-to-head debate on cutting-edgemetaphysical topics Provides valuable insights into the flourishing field ofcontemporary metaphysics

Current Controversies in Philosophy of Science

Author : Shamik Dasgupta,Ravit Dotan,Brad Weslake
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 314 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2020-10-27
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781317497141

Get Book

Current Controversies in Philosophy of Science by Shamik Dasgupta,Ravit Dotan,Brad Weslake Pdf

Current Controversies in Philosophy of Science asks twelve philosophers to debate six questions that are driving contemporary work in this area of philosophy. The questions are: I. Are Boltzmann Brains Bad? II. Does Mathematical Explanation Require Mathematical Truth? III. Does Quantum Mechanics Suggest Spacetime is Nonfundamental? IV. Is Evolution Fundamental When It Comes to Defining Biological Ontology? V. Is Chance Ontologically Fundamental? VI. Are Sexes Natural Kinds? These debates explore the philosophical foundations of particular scientific disciplines, while also examining more general issues in the philosophy of science. The result is a book that’s perfect for the advanced philosophy student, building up their knowledge of the foundations of the field and engaging with its cutting-edge questions. Preliminary descriptions of each chapter, annotated lists of further readings for each controversy, and study questions for each chapter help provide clearer and richer snapshots of active controversies for all readers.

A Critical Overview of Biological Functions

Author : Justin Garson
Publisher : Springer
Page : 113 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2016-03-30
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783319320205

Get Book

A Critical Overview of Biological Functions by Justin Garson Pdf

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.

Philosophy of Biology

Author : Peter Godfrey-Smith
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2016-09-06
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780691174679

Get Book

Philosophy of Biology by Peter Godfrey-Smith Pdf

An essential introduction to the philosophy of biology This is a concise, comprehensive, and accessible introduction to the philosophy of biology written by a leading authority on the subject. Geared to philosophers, biologists, and students of both, the book provides sophisticated and innovative coverage of the central topics and many of the latest developments in the field. Emphasizing connections between biological theories and other areas of philosophy, and carefully explaining both philosophical and biological terms, Peter Godfrey-Smith discusses the relation between philosophy and science; examines the role of laws, mechanistic explanation, and idealized models in biological theories; describes evolution by natural selection; and assesses attempts to extend Darwin's mechanism to explain changes in ideas, culture, and other phenomena. Further topics include functions and teleology, individuality and organisms, species, the tree of life, and human nature. The book closes with detailed, cutting-edge treatments of the evolution of cooperation, of information in biology, and of the role of communication in living systems at all scales. Authoritative and up-to-date, this is an essential guide for anyone interested in the important philosophical issues raised by the biological sciences.

Evolutionary Causation

Author : Tobias Uller,Kevin N. Laland
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 361 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2019-09-03
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780262039925

Get Book

Evolutionary Causation by Tobias Uller,Kevin N. Laland Pdf

A comprehensive treatment of the concept of causation in evolutionary biology that makes clear its central role in both historical and contemporary debates. Most scientific explanations are causal. This is certainly the case in evolutionary biology, which seeks to explain the diversity of life and the adaptive fit between organisms and their surroundings. The nature of causation in evolutionary biology, however, is contentious. How causation is understood shapes the structure of evolutionary theory, and historical and contemporary debates in evolutionary biology have revolved around the nature of causation. Despite its centrality, and differing views on the subject, the major conceptual issues regarding the nature of causation in evolutionary biology are rarely addressed. This volume fills the gap, bringing together biologists and philosophers to offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary treatment of evolutionary causation. Contributors first address biological motivations for rethinking evolutionary causation, considering the ways in which development, extra-genetic inheritance, and niche construction challenge notions of cause and process in evolution, and describing how alternative representations of evolutionary causation can shed light on a range of evolutionary problems. Contributors then analyze evolutionary causation from a philosophical perspective, considering such topics as causal entanglement, the commingling of organism and environment, and the relationship between causation and information. Contributors John A. Baker, Lynn Chiu, David I. Dayan, Renée A. Duckworth, Marcus W Feldman, Susan A. Foster, Melissa A. Graham, Heikki Helanterä, Kevin N. Laland, Armin P. Moczek, John Odling-Smee, Jun Otsuka, Massimo Pigliucci, Arnaud Pocheville, Arlin Stoltzfus, Karola Stotz, Sonia E. Sultan, Christoph Thies, Tobias Uller, Denis M. Walsh, Richard A. Watson

Philosophy of Biology: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Samir Okasha
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 144 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2019-11-28
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780192533647

Get Book

Philosophy of Biology: A Very Short Introduction by Samir Okasha Pdf

Over the last forty years the philosophy of biology has emerged as an important sub-discipline of the philosophy of science. Covering some of science's most divisive topics, such as philosophical issues in genetics, it also encompasses areas where modern biology has increasingly impinged on traditional philosophical questions, such as free will, essentialism, and nature vs nurture. In this Very Short Introduction Samir Okasha outlines the core issues with which contemporary philosophy of biology is engaged. Offering a whistle-stop tour of the history of biology, he explores key ideas and paradigm shifts throughout the centuries, including areas such as the theory of evolution by natural selection; the concepts of function and design; biological individuality; and the debate over adaptationism. Throughout Okasha makes clear the relevance of biology for understanding human beings, human society, and our place in the natural world, and the importance of engaging with these issues. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Mind

Author : Brian P. McLaughlin,Jonathan Cohen
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 408 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2009-02-09
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780470766323

Get Book

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Mind by Brian P. McLaughlin,Jonathan Cohen Pdf

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Mind showcases the leading contributors to the field, debating the major questions in philosophy of mind today. Comprises 20 newly commissioned essays on hotly debated issues in the philosophy of mind Written by a cast of leading experts in their fields, essays take opposing views on 10 central contemporary debates A thorough introduction provides a comprehensive background to the issues explored Organized into three sections which explore the ontology of the mental, nature of the mental content, and the nature of consciousness

Contemporary Debates in Political Philosophy

Author : Thomas Christiano,John Christman
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 488 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2009-03-30
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 1444310380

Get Book

Contemporary Debates in Political Philosophy by Thomas Christiano,John Christman Pdf

This collection of 24 essays, written by eminent philosophers and political theorists, brings together fresh debates on some of the most fundamental questions in contemporary political philosophy, including human rights, equality, constitutionalism, the value of democracy, identity and political neutrality. Presents fresh debates on six of the fundamental questions in contemporary political philosophy Each question is treated by a pair of opposing essays written by eminent scholars Lively debate format sharply defines the issues, invites the reader to participate in the exchange of arguments and paves the way for further discussion Will serve as an accessible introduction to the major topics in political philosophy, whilst also capturing the imagination of professional philosophers Offers the unique opportunity to observe leading philosophers engaging in head-to-head debate