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Zusatztext ...valuable contributions to the field of Aristotelian studies Informationen zum Autor Monte Ransome Johnson is Professor of Philosophy, University of California, San Diego. Klappentext Aristotle's has been the most influential philosophy in the whole history of science. Monte Johnson examines its most controversial aspect: Aristotle's emphasis on the importance of goals and purposes to scientific understanding--his teleology. In some cases this policy has proved deeply flawed, for example in his earth-centric cosmology, or his anthropology purporting to justify slavery and male domination. But in many areas Aristotle's teleology has been successful, and remains influential, for example in adaptationist evolutionary theory, embryology, and genetics. Johnson's book shows also how Aristotle's theory has profound implications for environmental ethics and for the theory of value in general. Zusammenfassung Aristotle's has been the most influential philosophy in the whole history of science. This book examines its most controversial aspect: Aristotle's emphasis on the importance of goals and purposes to scientific understanding - his teleology. It shows also how Aristotle's theory has implications for environmental ethics and for the theory of value. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction I. Teleology as a Critical Explanatory Framework 1: Historical background to the interpretation of Aristotle's teleology 2: Preliminary study of Aristotle's causes 3: Teleological notions 4: Teleological dialectic Part II. Teleological Explanations in Natural Science 5: Teleology and elements 6: Teleology and organisms I: general principles 7: Teleology and organisms II: specific explanations 8: Teleology and humans 9: Teleology and the cosmos 10: Conclusion