Aristotle's Philosophy of Biology

by James G. Lennox
Aristotle's Philosophy of Biology
Author: James G. Lennox
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 350
Release: 2001
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780521659765
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In addition to being one of the world's most influential philosophers, Aristotle can also be credited with the creation of both the science of biology and the philosophy of biology. He was the first thinker to treat the investigations of the living world as a distinct inquiry with its own special concepts and principles. This book focuses on a seminal event in the history of biology - Aristotle's delineation of a special branch of theoretical knowledge devoted to the systematic investigation of animals. Aristotle approached the creation of zoology with the tools of subtle and systematic philosophies of nature and of science that were then carefully tailored to the investigation of animals. The papers collected in this 2001 volume, written by a pre-eminent figure in the field of Aristotle's philosophy and biology, examine Aristotle's approach to biological inquiry and explanation, his concepts of matter, form and kind, and his teleology.

Biology of Life

by Laurence A. Cole
Biology of Life
Author: Laurence A. Cole
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2016-07-22
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0128096861
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Biology of Life: Biochemistry, Physiology and Philosophy provides foundational coverage of the field of biochemistry for a different angle to the traditional biochemistry text by focusing on human biochemistry and incorporating related elements of evolution to help further contextualize this dynamic space. This unique approach includes sections on early human development, what constitutes human life, and what makes it special. Additional coverage on the differences between the biochemistry of prokaryotes and eukaryotes is also included. The center of life in prokaryotes is considered to be photosynthesis and sugar generation, while the center of life in eukaryotes is sugar use and oxidative phosphorylation. This unique reference will inform specialized biochemistry courses and researchers in their understanding of the role biochemistry has in human life. - Contextualizes the field of biochemistry and its role in human life - Includes dedicated sections on human reproduction and human brain development - Provides extensive coverage on biochemical energetics, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis, and carbon monoxide-acetate pathways

The Nature of Life

by Mark A. Bedau
The Nature of Life
Author: Mark A. Bedau
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 443
Release: 2018-11-22
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1108722067
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Introduces a broad range of scientific and philosophical issues about life through the original historical and contemporary sources.

A Practical Philosophy for the Life Sciences

by Wim J. van der Steen
A Practical Philosophy for the Life Sciences
Author: Wim J. van der Steen
Publisher: SUNY Press
Total Pages: 226
Release: 1993-01-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780791416150
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This book integrates philosophy of biology and philosophy of medicine with the purpose of making philosophy practical for students and scientists. It contains many exercises and examples from live science. Much attention is given to the translation of scientific reasoning into the language of philosophy. The author shows that philosophical models can be used to evaluate science, if the limitations of the models are recognized so they can be applied in the proper context. On the other hand, some philosophical views of science need to be corrected by science. The book puts philosophy and science in a broader perspective. It integrates practical philosophy and ethics in applications to live science and uncovers limitations of current ethical theory.

Processes of Life

by John Dupré
Processes of Life
Author: John Dupré
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2012-01-26
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0199691983
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John Dupré explores recent revolutionary developments in biology and considers their relevance for our understanding of human nature and society. He reveals how the advance of genetic science is changing our view of the constituents of life, and shows how an understanding of microbiology will overturn standard assumptions about the living world.

Thinking about Life

by Paul S. Agutter
Thinking about Life
Author: Paul S. Agutter
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2008-11-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1402088663
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Our previous book, About Life, concerned modern biology. We used our present-day understanding of cells to ‘define’ the living state, providing a basis for exploring several general-interest topics: the origin of life, extraterrestrial life, intelligence, and the possibility that humans are unique. The ideas we proposed in About Life were intended as starting-points for debate – we did not claim them as ‘truth’ – but the information on which they were based is currently accepted as ‘scientific fact’. What does that mean? What is ‘scientific fact’ and why is it accepted? What is science – and is biology like other sciences such as physics (except in subject m- ter)? The book you are now reading investigates these questions – and some related ones. Like About Life, it may particularly interest a reader who wishes to change career to biology and its related subdisciplines. In line with a recommendation by the British Association for the Advancement of Science – that the public should be given fuller information about the nature of science – we present the concepts underpinning biology and a survey of its historical and philosophical basis.

The Philosophy of Biology

by Kostas Kampourakis
The Philosophy of Biology
Author: Kostas Kampourakis
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 765
Release: 2013-06-18
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9400765371
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This book brings together for the first time philosophers of biology to write about some of the most central concepts and issues in their field from the perspective of biology education. The chapters of the book cover a variety of topics ranging from traditional ones, such as biological explanation, biology and religion or biology and ethics, to contemporary ones, such as genomics, systems biology or evolutionary developmental biology. Each of the 30 chapters covers the respective philosophical literature in detail and makes specific suggestions for biology education. The aim of this book is to inform biology educators, undergraduate and graduate students in biology and related fields, students in teacher training programs, and curriculum developers about the current state of discussion on the major topics in the philosophy of biology and its implications for teaching biology. In addition, the book can be valuable to philosophers of biology as an introductory text in undergraduate and graduate courses.

Mind in Life

by Evan Thompson
Mind in Life
Author: Evan Thompson
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 561
Release: 2010-09-30
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0674736885
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How is life related to the mind? The question has long confounded philosophers and scientists, and it is this so-called explanatory gap between biological life and consciousness that Evan Thompson explores in Mind in Life. Thompson draws upon sources as diverse as molecular biology, evolutionary theory, artificial life, complex systems theory, neuroscience, psychology, Continental Phenomenology, and analytic philosophy to argue that mind and life are more continuous than has previously been accepted, and that current explanations do not adequately address the myriad facets of the biology and phenomenology of mind. Where there is life, Thompson argues, there is mind: life and mind share common principles of self-organization, and the self-organizing features of mind are an enriched version of the self-organizing features of life. Rather than trying to close the explanatory gap, Thompson marshals philosophical and scientific analyses to bring unprecedented insight to the nature of life and consciousness. This synthesis of phenomenology and biology helps make Mind in Life a vital and long-awaited addition to his landmark volume The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience (coauthored with Eleanor Rosch and Francisco Varela). Endlessly interesting and accessible, Mind in Life is a groundbreaking addition to the fields of the theory of the mind, life science, and phenomenology.

The Phenomenon of Life

by Hans Jonas
The Phenomenon of Life
Author: Hans Jonas
Publisher: Northwestern University Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2001
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780810117495
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One of the most prominent thinkers of his generation, Hans Jonas wrote on topics as diverse as the philosophy of biology, ethics and cosmology. This work sets forth a systematic philosophy of biological facts, laid out in support of his claim that mind is prefigured throughout organic existence.