Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology / Edition 1

by Francisco J. Ayala, Robert Arp

Overview

This collection of specially commissioned essays puts top scholars head to head to debate the central issues in the lively and fast growing field of philosophy of biology

• Brings together original essays on ten of the most hotly debated questions in philosophy of biology
• Lively head-to-head debate format sharply defines the issues and paves the way for further discussion
• Includes coverage of the new and vital area of evolutionary developmental biology, as well as the concept of a unified species, the role of genes in selection, the differences between micro- and macro-evolution, and much more
• Each section features an introduction to the topic as well as suggestions for further reading
• Offers an accessible overview of this fast-growing and dynamic field, whilst also capturing the imagination of professional philosophers and biologists

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781405159999
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	12/02/2009
Series:	Contemporary Debates in Philosophy , #18
Pages:	440
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

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).

Table of Contents

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 Primarily on Genes 141
Richard M. Burian

Part V Are Microevolution and Macroevolution Governed By the Same Processes? 165

Introduction 165

References and Further Reading 166

9 Microevolution and Macroevolution Are Governed by the Same Processes 169
Michael R. Dietrich

10 Microevolution and Macroevolution Are Not Governed by the Same Processes 180
Douglas H. Erwin

Part VI Does Evolutionary Developmental Biology Offer a Significant Challenge To the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm? 195

Introduction 195

References and Further Reading 197

11 Evolutionary Developmental Biology Offers a Significant Challenge to the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm 199
Manfred D. Laubichler

12 Evolutionary Developmental Biology Does Not Offer a Significant Challenge to the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm 213
Alessandro Minelli

Part VII Were the Basic Components of the Human Mind Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch? 227

Introduction 227

References and Further Reading 228

13 The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch 231
Valerie G. Starratt and Todd K. Shackelford

14 The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Not Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch 243
Stephen M. Downes

Part VIII Does Memetics Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution? 253

Introduction 253

References and Further Reading 254

15 Memetics Does Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution 255
Susan Blackmore

16 Memetics Does Not Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution: A Developmental Perspective 273
William C. Wimsatt

Part IX Can the Biological Sciences Act As a Ground For Ethics? 293

Introduction 293

References and Further Reading 295

17 The Biological Sciences Can Act as a Ground for Ethics 297
Michael Ruse

18 What the Biological Sciences Can and Cannot Contribute to Ethics 316
Francisco J. Ayala

Part X Is There a Place For Intelligent Design In the Philosophy of Biology? 337

Introduction 337

References and Further Reading 340

19 There is a Place for Intelligent Design in the Philosophy of Biology: Intelligent Design in (Philosophy of) Biology: Some Legitimate Roles 343
Del Ratzsch

20 There is No Place for Intelligent Design in the Philosophy of Biology: Intelligent Design is Not Science 364
Francisco J. Ayala

Index 391

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“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

Editorial Reviews

All chapters (including the very interesting contributions on the species problem by Claridge and Mishler, as well as the stimulating papers on evolutionary ethics by Ruse and Ayala) serve as an excellent introduction to the most hotly debated topics in the philosophy of biology today.”  (Metascience, 2011)

"A brief review like this can scarcely do justice to the richness of the ideas discussed in this text or the considerable care that went into its organization. This is, in short, a very fine contribution to the pedagogical literature on philosophy of biology. The editors are to be congratulated for the thoughtfulness that went into producing this text. May it gain the wide acceptance it deserves." (Science & Education, 2010)

"Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above". (Choice, 1 November 2010)

“Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology is an engaging anthology with many interesting contributions. The strength of the book is the format: two eminent representatives of the biophilosophical community have their say on a pivotal biophilosophical issue.” (

Metapsychology, May 2010)

"A very fine contribution to the pedagogical literature on philosophy of biology. The editors are to be congratulated for the thoughtfulness that went into producing this text. May it gain the wide acceptance it deserves." (Science & Education, March 2010)

From the Publisher