Sex and death : an introduction to philosophy of biology
Is the history of life a series of accidents or a drama scripted by selfish genes? Is there an "essential" human nature, determined at birth or in a distant evolutionary past? What should we conserve--species, ecosystems, or something else? Informed answers to questions like these, critical to our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, require both a knowledge of biology and a philosophical framework within which to make sense of its findings. In this accessible introduction to philosophy of biology, Kim Sterelny and Paul E. Griffiths present both the science and the philosophical context necessary for a critical understanding of the most exciting debates shaping biology today. The authors, both of whom have published extensively in this field, describe the range of competing views--including their own--on these fascinating topics. With its clear explanations of both biological and philosophical concepts, Sex and Death will appeal not only to undergraduates, but also to the many general readers eager to think critically about the science of life
Print Book, English, ©1999
University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Ill., ©1999
xv, 440 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
9780226773032, 9780226773049, 0226773035, 0226773043
40193587
Theory really matters: philosophy of biology and social issues
The received view of evolution
The gene's eye view of evolution
The organism strikes back
The developmental systems alternative
Mendel and molecules
Reduction: for and against
Organisms, groups and superorganisms
Species
Adaptation, perfection, function
Adaptation, ecology, and the environment
Life on Earth: the big picture
From sociobiology to evolutionary psychology
A case study: evolutionary theories of emotion
What is life?