Species
eBook - PDF

Species

A History of the Idea

  1. 320 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Species

A History of the Idea

About this book

The complex idea of "species" has evolved over time, yet its meaning is far from resolved. This comprehensive work takes a fresh look at an idea central to the field of biology by tracing its history from antiquity to today. John S. Wilkins explores the essentialist view, a staple of logic from Plato and Aristotle through the Middle Ages to fairly recent times, and considers the idea of species in natural history—a concept often connected to reproduction. Tracing "generative conceptions" of species back through Darwin to Epicurus, Wilkins provides a new perspective on the relationship between philosophical and biological approaches to this concept. He also reviews the array of current definitions. Species is a benchmark exploration and clarification of a concept fundamental to the past, present, and future of the natural sciences.

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Yes, you can access Species by John S. Wilkins in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Biological Sciences & Evolution. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Contents
  3. Preface
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Prologue
  6. The Classical Era: Science by Division
  7. The Medieval Bridge
  8. Species and the Birth of Modern Science
  9. The Early Nineteenth Century: A Period of Change
  10. Darwin and the Darwinians
  11. The Species Problem Arises
  12. The Synthesis and Species
  13. Modern Debates
  14. Reproductive Isolation Concepts
  15. Evolutionary Species Concepts
  16. Phylogenetic Species Concepts
  17. Other Species Concepts
  18. Historical Summary and Conclusions
  19. Notes
  20. References
  21. Index
  22. About the Author