How Biology Shapes Philosophy: New Foundations for Naturalism

by David Smith (Author), David Smith (Author), David Smith (Author), David Smith (Author)

New
Paperback
2019
$28.11

How Biology Shapes Philosophy is a seminal contribution to the emerging field of biophilosophy. It brings together work by philosophers who draw on biology to address traditional and not so traditional philosophical questions and concerns. Thirteen essays by leading figures in the field explore the biological dimensions of ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, gender, semantics, rationality, representation, and consciousness, as well as the misappropriation of biology by philosophers, allowing the reader to critically interrogate the relevance of biology for philosophy. Both rigorous and accessible, the essays illuminate philosophy and help us to acquire a deeper understanding of the human condition. This volume will be of interest to philosophers, biologists, social scientists, and other readers with an interest in bringing science and the humanities together.

Synopsis

How Biology Shapes Philosophy is a seminal contribution to the emerging field of biophilosophy. It brings together work by philosophers who draw on biology to address traditional and not so traditional philosophical questions and concerns. Thirteen essays by leading figures in the field explore the biological dimensions of ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, gender, semantics, rationality, representation, and consciousness, as well as the misappropriation of biology by philosophers, allowing the reader to critically interrogate the relevance of biology for philosophy. Both rigorous and accessible, the essays illuminate philosophy and help us to acquire a deeper understanding of the human condition. This volume will be of interest to philosophers, biologists, social scientists, and other readers with an interest in bringing science and the humanities together.

$28.11

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 366
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 03 Jan 2019
ISBN 10: 1107628202
ISBN 13: 9781107628205
Book Overview: A collection of original essays by major thinkers, addressing how the biological sciences inform and inspire philosophical research.

Media Reviews

'The essays cover a wide and felicitous range of topics ... The contributors are a virtual Who's Who of contemporary philosophers working in the field: Daniel Dennett, Philip Kitcher, Patricia Churchland, Samir Okasha, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Karen Neander, and others ... Highly recommended.' Choice
'I was excited to receive and read this book with its stellar cast of contributors. The book is worth the read - many chapters are indeed interesting and informative as standalone pieces and some will prove to be helpful introductions ... [It] should serve the profession well as a stimulating and often enthusiastic foray into the overlap between biology and philosophy.' Anton Killin, The Philosophical Quarterly
'The essays cover a wide and felicitous range of topics ... The contributors are a virtual Who's Who of contemporary philosophers working in the field: Daniel Dennett, Philip Kitcher, Patricia Churchland, Samir Okasha, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Karen Neander, and others ... Highly recommended.' Choice
'I was excited to receive and read this book with its stellar cast of contributors. The book is worth the read - many chapters are indeed interesting and informative as standalone pieces and some will prove to be helpful introductions ... [It] should serve the profession well as a stimulating and often enthusiastic foray into the overlap between biology and philosophy.' Anton Killin, The Philosophical Quarterly

Author Bio

David Livingstone Smith is Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England. His most recent book is Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave and Exterminate Others (2011).