Richard Burian

The Epistemology of Development, Evolution, and Genetics

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

The essays in this collection examine developments in three fundamental biological disciplines--embryology, evolutionary biology, and genetics--in conflict with each other for much of the twentieth century. They consider key methodological problems and the difficulty of overcoming them. Richard Burian interweaves historical appreciation of the settings within which scientists work, substantial knowledge of the biological problems at stake and the methodological and philosophical issues faced in integrating biological knowledge drawn from disparate sources.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Cambridge University Press
• Seitenzahl: 290
• Erscheinungstermin: 23. März 2015
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 17mm
• Gewicht: 474g
• ISBN-13: 9780521545280
• ISBN-10: 0521545285
• Artikelnr.: 22205321

Autorenporträt

Richard M. Burian is Professor of Philosophy and Science Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Inhaltsangabe

1. General introduction
Part I. Methodological Issues: 2. How the choice of experimental organism matters
3. Unification and coherence as methodological objectives in the biological sciences
Part II. Evolution: 4. 'Adaptation'
5. The influence of the evolutionary paradigm
6. 'Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution' (Theodosius Dobzhansky)
Part III. Genetics and Molecular Biology: 7. On conceptual change in biology
8. Technique, task definition, and the transition from genetics to molecular genetics
9. Too many kinds of genes
Part IV. Development: 10. Lillie's paradox - or, some hazards of cellular geography
11. On conflicts between genetic and developmental viewpoints
12. Reconceiving animals and their evolution.