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A Companion to the Philosophy of Biology

ISBN: 978-0-470-69584-5

April 2008

Wiley-Blackwell

616 pages

Description
A COMPANION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY

“Sarkar is to be congratulated for assembling this talented team of philosophers, who are themselves to be congratulated for writing these interesting essays on so many fascinating areas in philosophy of biology. This book will be a wonderful resource for future work.”

Elliot Sober, University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Many of the discussions here start with a definition of terms and a historical context of the subject before delving into the deeper philosophical issues, making it a useful reference for students of biology as well as philosophy.”

Northeastern Naturalist

“The topics that are addressed are done so well. This book will appeal to the advanced student and knowledgeable amateur and may prove useful catalyst for discussion among research teams or those engaged in cross-disciplinary studies.”

Reference Reviews

A Companion to the Philosophy of Biology offers concise overviews of philosophical issues raised by all areas of biology. Addressing both traditional and emerging areas of philosophical interest, the volume focuses on the philosophical implications of evolutionary theory as well as key topics such as molecular biology, immunology, and ecology

Comprising essays by top scholars in the field, this volume is an authoritative guide for professional philosophers, historians, sociologists and biologists, as well as an accessible reference work for students seeking to learn about this rapidly-changing field.

About the Author
Sahotra Sarkar is Professor of Integrative Biology, Geography and the Environment, and Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Genetics and Reductionism: A Primer (1998), Biodiversity and Environmental Philosophy (2005), Molecular Models of Life (2005), Doubting Darwin? Creationist Designs on Evolution (2007); co-author of Systematic Conservation Planning (2007); editor of several books, including The Philosophy and History of Molecular Biology (1996), the six-volume Science and the Philosophy in the Twentieth Century: Basic Works of Logical Empiricism (1996), and the two-volume The Philosophy of Science: An Encyclopedia (2006).

Anya Plutynski is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah. She specializes in the history and philosophy of science.

Features
  • Brings together a team of eminent scholars to explore the philosophical issues raised by biology
  • Addresses traditional and emerging topics, spanning molecular biology and genetics, evolution, developmental biology, immunology, ecology, mind and behaviour, neuroscience, and experimentation
  • Begins with a thorough introduction to the field
  • Goes beyond previous treatments that focused only on evolution to give equal attention to other areas, such as molecular and developmental biology
  • Represents both an authoritative guide to philosophy of biology, and an accessible reference work for anyone seeking to learn about this rapidly-changing field