| Description |
1 online resource (xv, 244 pages) : illustrations. |
| Physical Medium |
polychrome |
| Description |
text file |
| Series |
Cambridge studies in philosophy and biology
|
|
Cambridge studies in philosophy and biology.
|
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-237) and index. |
| Contents |
1. Introduction -- 2. Constitutive Complexity -- 2.1. Compositional Complexity and the Superorganism Metaphor -- 3. Dynamic Complexity -- 3.1. Evolution of Division of Labor -- 4. Evolved Diversity -- 4.1. Competing Units of Selection? A Case of Symbiosis -- 4.2. Units of Behavior in Evolutionary Explanations -- 4.3. On Biological Functions. |
| Summary |
"This 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 multicomponent, multilevel, evolved complex systems. |
|
This integrative pluralism is the best way to understand the different and complex processes - historical and interactive - that generate biological phenomena." "This book will be of interest to students and professionals in the philosophy of science."--Jacket. |
| Local Note |
eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - North America |
| Subject |
Biological systems.
|
|
Biological systems. |
| Genre/Form |
Electronic books.
|
| Other Form: |
Print version: Mitchell, Sandra D., 1951- Biological complexity and integrative pluralism. Cambridge, UK ; New York, N.Y. : Cambridge University Press, 2003 0521817536 0521520797 (DLC) 2002038843 (OCoLC)50948434 |
| ISBN |
051106120X (electronic book) |
|
9780511061202 (electronic book) |
|
9780511802683 (electronic book) |
|
0511802684 (electronic book) |
|
0521817536 (Cloth) |
|
9780521817530 |
|
0521520797 |
|
9780521520799 |
|
