What Makes Biology Unique Considerations on the Autonomy of a Scientific Discipline 1st edition by Ernst Mayr ISBN 0521841143 978-0521841146

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ISBN 10: 0521841143
ISBN 13: 978-0521841146
Author: Ernst Mayr 

This book, a collection of essays written by the most eminent evolutionary biologist of the twentieth century, explores biology as an autonomous science, offers insights on the history of evolutionary thought, critiques the contributions of philosophy to the science of biology, and comments on several of the major ongoing issues in evolutionary theory. Notably, Mayr explains that Darwin’s theory of evolution is actually five separate theories, each with its own history, trajectory and impact. Natural selection is a separate idea from common descent, and from geographic speciation, and so on. A number of the perennial Darwinian controversies may well have been caused by the confounding of the five separate theories into a single composite. Those interested in evolutionary theory, or the philosophy and history of science will find useful ideas in this book, which should appeal to virtually anyone with a broad curiosity about biology.

What Makes Biology Unique?: Considerations on the Autonomy of a Scientific Discipline 1st Table of contents:

• Preface

  • Introduction to the central questions addressed in the book: the nature of biology as a scientific discipline, its uniqueness, and its relationship with other sciences.

• Chapter 1: The Nature of Scientific Disciplines

  • Overview of the philosophy of science and what it means to classify a discipline as “scientific.”
  • Discussion of how different scientific fields are characterized by their methods, objects of study, and goals.

• Chapter 2: Biology and Its Relationship to Other Sciences

  • Examination of biology’s connections and distinctions from physics, chemistry, and other sciences.
  • Comparative analysis of the methodologies and theoretical foundations in biology versus other fields.

• Chapter 3: The Role of Reductionism in Biology

  • Exploration of reductionism in science, particularly in biology.
  • A critique of reductionist approaches and the discussion of emergent properties in biological systems.

• Chapter 4: The Complexity of Biological Systems

  • Analysis of the complexity inherent in biological systems and the challenges it poses to traditional scientific approaches.
  • Examination of biological phenomena such as self-organization, evolution, and the interconnectedness of life forms.

• Chapter 5: Evolution as a Unifying Principle

  • The role of evolution in biology and how it serves as a foundational concept that ties together diverse aspects of biological science.
  • Discussion of how evolutionary theory influences research and thought in biological disciplines.

• Chapter 6: The Autonomy of Biology

  • A philosophical reflection on whether biology is autonomous as a discipline and what this autonomy entails.
  • Examination of how biology maintains its independence in the face of interdisciplinary collaboration and the rise of systems biology.

• Chapter 7: The Challenges of Explanation in Biology

  • Exploration of the challenges of explaining biological phenomena, including the role of teleology, causality, and purpose in biological systems.
  • Discussion of the different explanatory models used in biology, such as functionalism and mechanism.

• Chapter 8: The Future of Biology as a Discipline

  • Speculation on the future trajectory of biology, considering new advances in biotechnology, genomics, and ecology.
  • Reflection on the ways biology will continue to evolve as a scientific discipline and its potential integration with other fields of study.

• Conclusion

  • A summary of the key arguments presented in the book.
  • Final thoughts on the uniqueness and autonomy of biology as a discipline.

• References

  • A comprehensive list of sources, papers, and works cited throughout the book.

• Index

  • Index of key terms, concepts, and figures discussed in the text.

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