This series offers concise and structured introductions to the central topics within the philosophy of biology. Each volume is authored by leading researchers, providing balanced and comprehensive coverage of multiple perspectives. They also introduce new ideas and arguments from a unique viewpoint, allowing readers to gain a deeper understanding of this dynamic field.
In this Element, Thomas Pradeu considers the ways in which current immunology sheds light on some of the most important contemporary philosophical issues, from the persistence of identity through time to the interaction of mind and body. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
In this Element we give an exposition of what we believe to be 'biology's first law'. We believe that through this law we can throw light on hitherto- puzzling aspects of the evolutionary process, including the tendency of organisms to diversity and the somewhat vague, but unmistakable, progressive nature of the evolutionary process.
Attempts to avoid bias in comparative psychology have harmed the science by limiting research topics and minimising animal consciousness. We can advance by treating animals as sentient research participants, and through a greater integration of the subdisciplines of comparative psychology, such as field and lab approaches to chimpanzee cognition.
Introduces game theory, before assessing working using signaling games to explore questions related to communication, meaning, language, and reference. O'Connor then addresses prosociality - strategic behavior that contributes to the successful functioning of social groups - using the prisoner's dilemma, stag hunt, and bargaining games.
Reductionism is a methodology, a metaphysical and an epistemological claim. This volume expound the philosophical debate surrounding reductionism and its transformation into one about mechanism.
Current knowledge of the genetic, epigenetic, behavioural and symbolic systems of inheritance challenges the gene-based, 'Modern Synthesis' version of Darwin's evolutionary theory. The implications of a broad view of heredity are discussed and its theoretical and philosophical ramifications are examined.
This Element focuses on three challenges of evolution to religion: teleology, human origins, and the evolution of religion itself. We show how tensions arise and offer potential responses for religion. Individual religions can meet these challenges, if some of their metaphysical assumptions are adapted or abandoned.
In this Element, Tudor Baetu explores the metaphysical inquiry into how mechanisms relate to issues such as causation, capacities and levels of organization, and epistemic issues related to the discovery of mechanisms and the intelligibility of mechanistic representations. He shows how the gap between them can be bridged.