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Informationen zum Autor Francisco J. Ayala is Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, USA. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. In 2001, he received the National Medal of Science. Ayala has published more than 950 articles and is the author or editor of 31 books. He has been named the Renaissance Man of Evolutionary Biology by The New York Times . Robert Arp is an analyst at The Analysis Group, LLC who has interests in philosophy of biology and ontology in the informatics sense. He is the author of Scenario Visualization: An Evolutionary Account of Creative Problem Solving (2008), and co-editor of Philosophy of Biology: An Anthology (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009). Klappentext CONTEMPORARY DEBATES IN PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY "A greatly needed and welcome contribution by excellent scholars, this book invites newcomers and experts alike to think critically about core issues in the philosophy of biology." -- Roberta L. Millstein , University of California, Davis Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology brings together original essays on some of the most hotly debated questions in this lively and fast-moving field. Are species real? Does selection operate primarily on genes? Can the biological sciences act as a ground for ethics? Each of the ten sections introduces a specific issue within philosophy of biology and offers suggestions for further reading. Pairs of newly commissioned essays by leading scholars discuss the central questions in an engaging head-to-head debate. Together, the essays provide an accessible introduction to philosophy of biology, and a springboard to further discussion. Showcasing original arguments for well-defined positions, as well as clear and concise statements of sophisticated philosophical views, this volume is an excellent resource for professional philosophers, biologists, and students alike. Zusammenfassung Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology brings together original essays on some of the most hotly debated questions in this lively and fast-moving field. Pairs of newly-commissioned essays by leading scholars discuss the central questions in an engaging head-to-head debate. Inhaltsverzeichnis Notes on Contributors ix General Introduction 1 References and Further Reading 7 Part I Is It Possible To Reduce Biological Explanations To Explanations In Chemistry and/or Physics? 13 Introduction 13 References and Further Reading 15 1 It is Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics 19 Evelyn Fox Keller 2 It is Not Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics 32 John Dupré Part II Have Traits Evolved To Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage? 49 Introduction 49 References and Further Reading 51 3 Traits Have Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage 53 Mark Perlman 4 Traits Have Not Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage 72 Robert Cummins and Martin Roth Part III Are Species Real? 87 Introduction 87 References and Further Reading 88 5 Species Are Real Biological Entities 91 Michael F. Claridge 6 Species Are Not Uniquely Real Biological Entities 110 Brent D. Mishler Part IV Does Selection Operate Primarily On Genes? 123 Introduction 123 References and Further Reading 125 7 Selection Does Operate Primarily on Genes: In Defense of the Gene as the Unit of Selection 127 Carmen Sapienza 8 Selection Does Not Operate Pri...
