History and Philosophy of Biology

History and Philosophy of Biology summarizes the major philosophical ideas that have attended the development of science in general and of biology in particular. The book then explores how the techniques and the concepts of the physical sciences have impacted biology. A reductionist approach to biology — anatomy, physiology, genetics — complements the study of evolution by natural selection and an ecological perspective. The final section of the book explores several examples of the influence of science on society, and of society on science.

Each of 46 chapters of History and Philosophy of Biology has been or could be the topic of a major tome. The book is unique in that it explores the web of interactions among issues of philosophy, techniques and concepts of the physical sciences, fields of biology, and the diverse relationships between society and science.

The book should appeal to readers of Scientific American or the New York Review of Books even if they are not trained biologists. It is a good text, or additional reading, for an advanced undergraduate course treating history and/or philosophy of biology or of science in general.

Contents:

• History and Philosophy: Overview:

  • Pre-Hellenic Science
  • Hellenic Science
  • China and Early Science
  • Islamic Science
  • Christianity and Science
  • Inductive Logic, "Works," and Francis Bacon
  • Deductive Logic, Maths, and René Descartes
  • The Scientific Revolution
  • The Church and Science
  • Falsifiability: Karl Popper
  • Paradigm: Thomas Kuhn
  • Two Cultures: C P Snow
  • Emergence

• Physical Sciences: Overview:

  • Engineering
  • Mathematics
  • Astronomy
  • Mechanics
  • Alchemy
  • Phlogiston
  • Periodic Table
  • Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics
  • Thermodynamics
  • Geology

• Biology: Overview:

  • Medicine
  • Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Embryology
  • Microbiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Biochemistry
  • Neurobiology
  • Botany
  • Genetics
  • Paleontology
  • Systematics
  • Evolution
  • Race
  • Information
  • Origin of Life

• Society and Science: Overview:

  • Integrity
  • Consent
  • Faith, Intelligent Design
  • Art
  • Global Warming
  • Free Will

Readership: Advanced undergraduates in life sciences; graduate students; interested lay public.
Key Features:

• History and Philosophy of Biology explores the web of interactions among issues of philosophy, techniques and concepts of the physical sciences, fields of biology, and relationships between society and science. Few, if any, other books emphasize these interactions
• History and Philosophy of Biology should appeal to readers of “Scientific American” or the “New York Review of Books” even if they are not trained biologists
• History and Philosophy of Biology is a good text, or additional reading, for an advanced undergraduate course treating history and/or philosophy of biology or of science in general