From Biological Practice To Scientific Metaphysics

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From Biological Practice to Scientific Metaphysics

William C. Bausman,Janella K. Baxter,Oliver M. Lean
From Biological Practice to Scientific Metaphysics Book PDF

Author : William C. Bausman,Janella K. Baxter,Oliver M. Lean
Publisher : U of Minnesota Press
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2024-01-09
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781452970554

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From Biological Practice to Scientific Metaphysics by William C. Bausman,Janella K. Baxter,Oliver M. Lean Pdf

How analyzing scientific practices can alter debates on the relationship between science and reality Numerous scholarly works focus solely on scientific metaphysics or biological practice, but few attempt to bridge the two subjects. This volume, the latest in the Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science series, explores what a scientific metaphysics grounded in biological practices could look like and how it might impact the way we investigate the world around us. From Biological Practice to Scientific Metaphysics examines how to reconcile the methods of biological practice with the methods of metaphysical cosmology, notably regarding the origins of life. The contributors take up a wide range of traditional metaphysics and philosophy of science topics, including natural kinds, medicine, ecology, genetics, scientific pluralism, reductionism, operationalism, mechanisms, the nature of information, and more. Many of the chapters represent the first philosophical treatments of significant biological practices. From causality and complexity to niche constructions and inference, the contributors review and discuss long-held objections to metaphysics by natural scientists. They illuminate how, in order to learn about the world as it truly is, we must look not only at what scientists say but also what they do: for ontology cannot be read directly from scientific claims. Contributors: Richard Creath, Arizona State U; Marc Ereshefsky, U of Calgary; Marie I. Kaiser, Bielefeld U; Thomas A. C. Reydon, Leibniz U Hannover and Michigan State U; Lauren N. Ross, U of California, Irvine; Rose Trappes, U of Exeter; Marcel Weber, U of Geneva; William C. Wimsatt, U of Chicago. Retail e-book files for this title are screen-reader friendly with images accompanied by short alt text and/or extended descriptions.

The Metaphysics of Biology

John Dupré
The Metaphysics of Biology Book PDF

Author : John Dupré
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 150 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2021-06-03
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781009021807

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The Metaphysics of Biology by John Dupré Pdf

This Element is an introduction to the metaphysics of biology, a very general account of the nature of the living world. The first part of the Element addresses more traditionally philosophical questions - whether biological systems are reducible to the properties of their physical parts, causation and laws of nature, substantialist and processualist accounts of life, and the nature of biological kinds. The second half will offer an understanding of important biological entities, drawing on the earlier discussions. This division should not be taken too seriously, however: the topics in both parts are deeply interconnected. Although this does not claim to be a scientific work, it does aim to be firmly grounded in our best scientific knowledge; it is an exercise in naturalistic metaphysics. Its most distinctive feature is that argues throughout for a view of living systems as processes rather than things or, in the technical philosophical sense, substances.

Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science

Matthew Slater,Zanja Yudell
Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science Book PDF

Author : Matthew Slater,Zanja Yudell
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2017-02-01
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780190669843

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Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science by Matthew Slater,Zanja Yudell Pdf

The question of the proper role of metaphysics in philosophy of science is both significant and contentious. The last few decades have seen considerable engagement with philosophical projects aptly described as "the metaphysics of science:" inquiries into natural laws and properties, natural kinds, causal relations, and dispositions. At the same time, many metaphysicians have begun moving in the direction of more scientifically-informed ("scientistic" or "naturalistic") metaphysics. And yet many philosophers of science retain a deep suspicion about the significance of metaphysical investigations into science. This volume of new essays explores a broadly methodological question: what role should metaphysics play in our philosophizing about science? These new essays, written by leading philosophers of science, address this question both through ground-level investigations of particular issues in the metaphysics of science and by more general methodological inquiry.

Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science

Matthew H. Slater,Zanja Yudell
Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science Book PDF

Author : Matthew H. Slater,Zanja Yudell
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 273 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2017
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199363209

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Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Science by Matthew H. Slater,Zanja Yudell Pdf

This volume of essays will explore the relationship between science and metaphysics, asking what role metaphysics should play in philosophizing about science. The essays will address this question both through ground-level investigations of particular issues in the metaphysics of science and more general methodological investigations. They thereby contribute to an ongoing discussion concerning the future, the limits, and the possibility of metaphysics as a legitimate philosophical project.

Individuation, Process, and Scientific Practices

Otávio Bueno,Ruey-Lin Chen,Melinda Bonnie Fagan
Individuation Process and Scientific Practices Book PDF

Author : Otávio Bueno,Ruey-Lin Chen,Melinda Bonnie Fagan
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2018-10-19
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780190636821

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Individuation, Process, and Scientific Practices by Otávio Bueno,Ruey-Lin Chen,Melinda Bonnie Fagan Pdf

What things count as individuals, and how do we individuate them? It is a classic philosophical question often tackled from the perspective of analytic metaphysics. This volume proposes that there is another channel by which to approach individuation -- from that of scientific practices. From this perspective, the question then becomes: How do scientists individuate things and, therefore, count them as individuals? This volume collects the work of philosophers of science to engage with this central philosophical conundrum from a new angle, highlighting the crucial topic of experimental individuation and building upon recent, pioneering work in the philosophy of science. An introductory chapter foregrounds the problem of individuation, arguing it should be considered prior to the topic of individuality. The following chapters address individuation and individuality from a variety of perspectives, with prominent themes being the importance of experimentation, individuation as a process, and pluralism in individuation's criteria. Contributions examine individuation in a wide range of sciences, including stem cell biology, particle physics, and community ecology. Other chapters examine the metaphysics of individuation, its bearing on realism/antirealism debates, and interrogate epistemic aspects of individuation in scientific practice. In exploring individuation from the philosophy of biology, physics, and other scientific subjects, this volume ultimately argues for the possibility of several criteria of individuation, upending the tenets of traditional metaphysics. It provides insights for philosophers of science, but also for scientists interested in the conceptual foundations of their work.

Biological Identity

Anne Sophie Meincke,John Dupré
Biological Identity Book PDF

Author : Anne Sophie Meincke,John Dupré
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 299 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2020-08-25
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781351066365

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Biological Identity by Anne Sophie Meincke,John Dupré Pdf

Analytic metaphysics has recently discovered biology as a means of grounding metaphysical theories. This has resulted in long-standing metaphysical puzzles, such as the problems of personal identity and material constitution, being increasingly addressed by appeal to a biological understanding of identity. This development within metaphysics is in significant tension with the growing tendency amongst philosophers of biology to regard biological identity as a deep puzzle in its own right, especially following recent advances in our understanding of symbiosis, the evolution of multi-cellular organisms and the inherently dynamical character of living systems. Moreover, and building on these biological insights, the broadly substance ontological framework of metaphysical theories of biological identity appears problematic to a growing number of philosophers of biology who invoke process ontology instead. This volume addresses this tension, exploring to what extent it can be dissolved. For this purpose, the volume presents the first selection of essays exclusively focused on biological identity and written by experts in metaphysics, the philosophy of biology and biology. The resulting cross-disciplinary dialogue paves the way for a convincing account of biological identity that is both metaphysically constructive and scientifically informed, and will be of interest to metaphysicians, philosophers of biology and theoretical biologists.

Mechanisms in Science

Stavros Ioannidis,Stathis Psillos
Mechanisms in Science Book PDF

Author : Stavros Ioannidis,Stathis Psillos
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 291 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2022-06-23
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781316519905

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Mechanisms in Science by Stavros Ioannidis,Stathis Psillos Pdf

Questions central tenets of the current philosophical consensus about mechanisms and develops the novel alternative of Methodological Mechanism.

Individuation, Process, and Scientific Practices

Otávio Bueno,Ruey-lin Chen,Melinda Bonnie Fagan
Individuation Process and Scientific Practices Book PDF

Author : Otávio Bueno,Ruey-lin Chen,Melinda Bonnie Fagan
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 329 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2018-11-16
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780190636814

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Individuation, Process, and Scientific Practices by Otávio Bueno,Ruey-lin Chen,Melinda Bonnie Fagan Pdf

What things count as individuals, and how do we individuate them? It is a classic philosophical question often tackled from the perspective of analytic metaphysics. This volume proposes that there is another channel by which to approach individuation -- from that of scientific practices. From this perspective, the question then becomes: How do scientists individuate things and, therefore, count them as individuals? This volume collects the work of philosophers of science to engage with this central philosophical conundrum from a new angle, highlighting the crucial topic of experimental individuation and building upon recent, pioneering work in the philosophy of science. An introductory chapter foregrounds the problem of individuation, arguing it should be considered prior to the topic of individuality. The following chapters address individuation and individuality from a variety of perspectives, with prominent themes being the importance of experimentation, individuation as a process, and pluralism in individuation's criteria. Contributions examine individuation in a wide range of sciences, including stem cell biology, particle physics, and community ecology. Other chapters examine the metaphysics of individuation, its bearing on realism/antirealism debates, and interrogate epistemic aspects of individuation in scientific practice. In exploring individuation from the philosophy of biology, physics, and other scientific subjects, this volume ultimately argues for the possibility of several criteria of individuation, upending the tenets of traditional metaphysics. It provides insights for philosophers of science, but also for scientists interested in the conceptual foundations of their work.

The Third Lens

Andrew S. Reynolds
The Third Lens Book PDF

Author : Andrew S. Reynolds
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 278 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2018-06-21
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226563435

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The Third Lens by Andrew S. Reynolds Pdf

Does science aim at providing an account of the world that is literally true or objectively true? Understanding the difference requires paying close attention to metaphor and its role in science. In The Third Lens, Andrew S. Reynolds argues that metaphors, like microscopes and other instruments, are a vital tool in the construction of scientific knowledge and explanations of how the world works. More than just rhetorical devices for conveying difficult ideas, metaphors provide the conceptual means with which scientists interpret and intervene in the world. Reynolds here investigates the role of metaphors in the creation of scientific concepts, theories, and explanations, using cell theory as his primary case study. He explores the history of key metaphors that have informed the field and the experimental, philosophical, and social circumstances under which they have emerged, risen in popularity, and in some cases faded from view. How we think of cells—as chambers, organisms, or even machines—makes a difference to scientific practice. Consequently, an accurate picture of how scientific knowledge is made requires us to understand how the metaphors scientists use—and the social values that often surreptitiously accompany them—influence our understanding of the world, and, ultimately, of ourselves. The influence of metaphor isn’t limited to how we think about cells or proteins: in some cases they can even lead to real material change in the very nature of the thing in question, as scientists use technology to alter the reality to fit the metaphor. Drawing out the implications of science’s reliance upon metaphor, The Third Lens will be of interest to anyone working in the areas of history and philosophy of science, science studies, cell and molecular biology, science education and communication, and metaphor in general.

Biological Individuality

Scott Lidgard,Lynn K. Nyhart
Biological Individuality Book PDF

Author : Scott Lidgard,Lynn K. Nyhart
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2017-05-24
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226446592

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Biological Individuality by Scott Lidgard,Lynn K. Nyhart Pdf

Individuals are things that everybody knows—or thinks they do. Yet even scholars who practice or analyze the biological sciences often cannot agree on what an individual is and why. One reason for this disagreement is that the many important biological individuality concepts serve very different purposes—defining, classifying, or explaining living structure, function, interaction, persistence, or evolution. Indeed, as the contributors to Biological Individuality reveal, nature is too messy for simple definitions of this concept, organisms too quirky in the diverse ways they reproduce, function, and interact, and human ideas about individuality too fraught with philosophical and historical meaning. Bringing together biologists, historians, and philosophers, this book provides a multifaceted exploration of biological individuality that identifies leading and less familiar perceptions of individuality both past and present, what they are good for, and in what contexts. Biological practice and theory recognize individuals at myriad levels of organization, from genes to organisms to symbiotic systems. We depend on these notions of individuality to address theoretical questions about multilevel natural selection and Darwinian fitness; to illuminate empirical questions about development, function, and ecology; to ground philosophical questions about the nature of organisms and causation; and to probe historical and cultural circumstances that resonate with parallel questions about the nature of society. Charting an interdisciplinary research agenda that broadens the frameworks in which biological individuality is discussed, this book makes clear that in the realm of the individual, there is not and should not be a direct path from biological paradigms based on model organisms through to philosophical generalization and historical reification.

Levels of Organization in the Biological Sciences

Daniel S. Brooks,James DiFrisco,William C. Wimsatt
Levels of Organization in the Biological Sciences Book PDF

Author : Daniel S. Brooks,James DiFrisco,William C. Wimsatt
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 337 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2021-08-24
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780262362252

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Levels of Organization in the Biological Sciences by Daniel S. Brooks,James DiFrisco,William C. Wimsatt Pdf

Scientific philosophers examine the nature and significance of levels of organization, a core structural principle in the biological sciences. This volume examines the idea of levels of organization as a distinct object of investigation, considering its merits as a core organizational principle for the scientific image of the natural world. It approaches levels of organization--roughly, the idea that the natural world is segregated into part-whole relationships of increasing spatiotemporal scale and complexity--in terms of its roles in scientific reasoning as a dynamic, open-ended idea capable of performing multiple overlapping functions in distinct empirical settings. The contributors--scientific philosophers with longstanding ties to the biological sciences--discuss topics including the philosophical and scientific contexts for an inquiry into levels; whether the concept can actually deliver on its organizational promises; the role of levels in the development and evolution of complex systems; conditional independence and downward causation; and the extension of the concept into the sociocultural realm. Taken together, the contributions embrace the diverse usages of the term as aspects of the big picture of levels of organization. Contributors Jan Baedke, Robert W. Batterman, Daniel S. Brooks, James DiFrisco, Markus I. Eronen, Carl Gillett, Sara Green, James Griesemer, Alan C. Love, Angela Potochnik, Thomas Reydon, Ilya Tëmkin, Jon Umerez, William C. Wimsatt, James Woodward

Natural Kinds and Classification in Scientific Practice

Catherine Kendig
Natural Kinds and Classification in Scientific Practice Book PDF

Author : Catherine Kendig
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 372 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2015-12-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781317215424

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Natural Kinds and Classification in Scientific Practice by Catherine Kendig Pdf

This edited volume of 13 new essays aims to turn past discussions of natural kinds on their head. Instead of presenting a metaphysical view of kinds based largely on an unempirical vantage point, it pursues questions of kindedness which take the use of kinds and activities of kinding in practice as significant in the articulation of them as kinds. The book brings philosophical study of current and historical episodes and case studies from various scientific disciplines to bear on natural kinds as traditionally conceived of within metaphysics. Focusing on these practices reveals the different knowledge-producing activities of kinding and processes involved in natural kind use, generation, and discovery. Specialists in their field, the esteemed group of contributors use diverse empirically responsive approaches to explore the nature of kindhood. This groundbreaking volume presents detailed case studies that exemplify kinding in use. Newly written for this volume, each chapter engages with the activities of kinding across a variety of disciplines. Chapter topics include the nature of kinds, kindhood, kinding, and kind-making in linguistics, chemical classification, neuroscience, gene and protein classification, colour theory in applied mathematics, homology in comparative biology, sex and gender identity theory, memory research, race, extended cognition, symbolic algebra, cartography, and geographic information science. The volume seeks to open up an as-yet unexplored area within the emerging field of philosophy of science in practice, and constitutes a valuable addition to the disciplines of philosophy and history of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Life and Process

Spyridon A. Koutroufinis
Life and Process Book PDF

Author : Spyridon A. Koutroufinis
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2014-05-21
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783110373318

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Life and Process by Spyridon A. Koutroufinis Pdf

Alfred North Whitehead is arguably the most original 20th-century philosopher of nature and metaphysics. In recent decades a number of physicists have produced ground-breaking new theories in fundamental physics influenced by his process philosophy. In contrast, few biologists are even aware that Whitehead’s radical rethinking of the Cartesian assumptions implicit in 19th-century sciences might be relevant to their enterprise. This book seeks to fill this gap by exploring how Whitehead’s process ontology might provide a new philosophical foundation for the biosciences of the 21st century. The central premise shared by all of the volume’s authors is the idea that all living processes are irreducible processes. Each chapter focuses on assumptions implicit in some of the core concepts of biology– such as organism, evolution, information, and teleology – that play crucial explanatory roles in the biosciences, but as metaphysical concepts fall outside its purview. The authors each identify important shortcomings implicit in contemporary biological paradigms and show how an approach grounded in a process-oriented metaphysics can avoid them.

Establishing Medical Reality

Harold Kincaid,Jennifer McKitrick
Establishing Medical Reality Book PDF

Author : Harold Kincaid,Jennifer McKitrick
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2007-06-01
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9781402052163

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Establishing Medical Reality by Harold Kincaid,Jennifer McKitrick Pdf

Medicine raises numerous philosophical issues. This volume approaches the philosophy of medicine from the broad naturalist perspective. This holds that philosophy must be continuous with, constrained by, and relevant to empirical results of the natural and social sciences. The upshot is a unique volume that ties medicine to contemporary issues in philosophy of science and metaphysics.

Psychopathy

Luca Malatesti,John McMillan,Predrag Šustar
Psychopathy Book PDF

Author : Luca Malatesti,John McMillan,Predrag Šustar
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 311 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2021-12-14
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9783030824549

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Psychopathy by Luca Malatesti,John McMillan,Predrag Šustar Pdf

This book explains the ethical and conceptual tensions in the use of psychopathy in different countries, including America, Canada, the UK, Croatia, Australia, and New Zealand. It offers an extensive critical analysis of how psychopathy functions within institutional and social contexts. Inside, readers will find innovative interdisciplinary analysis, written by leading international experts. The chapters explore how different countries have used this diagnosis. A central concern is whether psychopathy is a mental disorder, and this has a bearing upon whether it should be used. The book’s case studies will help readers understand the problems associated with psychopathy. Academics and students working in the philosophy of psychiatry, bioethics, and moral psychology will find it a valuable resource. In addition, it will also appeal to mental health professionals working in forensic settings, psychologists with an interest in the ethical implications of the use of psychopathy as a construct and particularly those with a research interest in it.