Philosophy of Science for Biologists
eBook - PDF

Philosophy of Science for Biologists

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Philosophy of Science for Biologists

About this book

Biologists rely on theories, apply models and construct explanations, but rarely reflect on their nature and structure. This book introduces key topics in philosophy of science to provide the required philosophical background for this kind of reflection, which is an important part of all aspects of research and communication in biology. It concisely and accessibly addresses fundamental questions such as: Why should biologists care about philosophy of science? How do concepts contribute to scientific advancement? What is the nature of scientific controversies in the biological sciences? Chapters draw on contemporary examples and case studies from across biology, making the discussion relevant and insightful. Written for researchers and advanced undergraduate and graduate students across the life sciences, its aim is to encourage readers to become more philosophically minded and informed to enable better scientific practice. It is also an interesting and pertinent read for philosophers of science.

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Yes, you can access Philosophy of Science for Biologists by Kostas Kampourakis,Tobias Uller in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Philosophy & Ethics in Science. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright information
  5. Contents
  6. List of Contributors
  7. Preface
  8. 1 Why Should Biologists Care about the Philosophy of Science?
  9. 2 What Constitutes an Explanation in Biology?
  10. 3 What Is Biological Knowledge?
  11. 4 What Is the Nature of Theories and Models in Biology?
  12. 5 How Are Biology Concepts Used and Transformed?
  13. 6 Why Does It Matter That Many Biology Concepts Are Metaphors?
  14. 7 How Do Concepts Contribute to Scientific Advancement?: Evolutionary Biology As a Case Study
  15. 8 How Can Conceptual Analysis Contribute to Scientific Practice?: The Case of Cultural Evolution
  16. 9 What Methods Do Life Scientists Use?: A Brief History with Philosophical Implications
  17. 10 Is It Possible to Scientifically Reconstruct the History of Life on Earth?: The Biological Sciences and Deep Time
  18. 11 What Is the Basis of Biological Classification?: The Search for Natural Systems
  19. 12 What Is the Nature of Scientific Controversies in the Biological Sciences?
  20. 13 What Is the Relation between Facts and Values in Biological Science?: Biology in Society
  21. 14 A Philosopher in the Age of Creationism: What Have I Learned after Fifty Years Doing Philosophy of Biology That I Want to Pass On to Biologists
  22. 15 How Can We Teach Philosophy of Science to Biologists?
  23. Further Reading
  24. Index