Biological Complexity and Integrative PluralismThis fine collection of essays by a leading philosopher of science presents a defense of integrative pluralism as the best description for the complexity of scientific inquiry today. The tendency of some scientists to unify science by reducing all theories to a few fundamental laws of the most basic particles that populate our universe is ill-suited to the biological sciences, which study multi-component, multi-level, evolved complex systems. This book will be of interest to students and professionals in the philosophy of science |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Constitutive Complexity | 13 |
21 Compositional Complexity and the Superorganism Metaphor | 14 |
Dynamic Complexity | 38 |
31 The Evolution of Division of Labor | 39 |
Evolved Diversity | 58 |
41 Competing Units of Selection? A Case of Symbiosis | 59 |
42 The Units of Behavior in evolutionary Explanations | 75 |
52 Dimensions of Scientific Law | 126 |
Lessons from Biology | 147 |
An Inadequte Representation for Biological Contingency | 161 |
Pluralism or Disunity | 179 |
61 Critics of Unity of Science | 180 |
62 On Pluralism and Competition in Evolutionary | 194 |
63 Integrative Pluralism | 208 |
| 219 | |
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Common terms and phrases
abstract adaptation adaptationist alternative apply argue argument b₁ Beatty behavior Bigelow and Pargetter Brandon causal dependencies causal history causal process causal structures cells ceteris paribus claims colony colony-level competition complex systems components consequences conservation of mass-energy context contingent Dawkins described developmental differential reproduction dispositional diversity division of labor domain E. O. Wilson entities environment environmental etiological evolution by natural evolutionary evolutionary biology evolved example exceptionless explanations explanatory female foraging gamete gene Gould hence honeybee ideal identified individual organism integration interaction interactor logical male mechanisms Mendel's law Mitchell models multiple natural selection operation peppered moth phenotypic pheromone physical pluralism population pragmatic queen question rape reductionism relationship representations reproductive success response result sampling scientific laws self-organization social insects specific stimulus level strategy superorganism task Thornhill thresholds tion trait unit of selection universal variability variation Wilson and Sober wing color workers