The biological way of thought
By: Morton Beckner
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 1959
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 200
Subjects: Biology; Philosophy; Modellen; Methodology
Description: "Describes the special methods of concept formation and explanation that distinguish biology from the other natural sciences. Beckner examines biological subject matter and biological theory, His method of approach is dual: through a logical analysis of historical, functional, and polytypic concepts and an examination of their role in achieving theoretical unification; and through a logical analysis of model-explanation, teleology, and historical explanation. The results of this investigation are applied to a number of standing problems in biological methodology--for example, the significance of holistic versus reductive points of view, the logical character of the taxonomic system, and the nature of explanation in evolution theory"--From publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [191]-195) and index.
Table of contents: title: 1. Introduction; title: 2. Types of biological concepts; title: 3. Models in biological theory; title: 4. Systematics; title: 5. Genetic analysis and explanation; title: 6. Functional analysis; title: 7. Teleological systems, behavior, and explanation; title: 8. Selection theory; title: 9. Organization and organismic biology.