The Strategy of Life

Teleology and Mechanics in Nineteenth Century German Biology

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Reference, History
Cover of the book The Strategy of Life by T. Lenoir, Springer Netherlands
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: T. Lenoir ISBN: 9789400969513
Publisher: Springer Netherlands Publication: December 6, 2012
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author: T. Lenoir
ISBN: 9789400969513
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Publication: December 6, 2012
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

Teleological thinking has been steadfastly resisted by modern biology. And yet, in nearly every area of research biologists are hard pressed to find language that does not impute purposiveness to living forms. The life of the individual organism, if not life itself, seems to make use of a variety of strate gems in achieving its purposes. But in an age when physical models dominate our imagination and when physics itself has become accustomed to uncertainty relations and complementarity, biologists have learned to live with a kind of schizophrenic language, employing terms like 'selfish genes' and 'survival machines' to describe the behavior of organisms as if they were somehow purposive yet all the while intending that they are highly complicated mechanisms. The present study treats a period in the history of the life sciences when the imputation of purposiveness to biological organization was not regarded an embarrassment but rather an accepted fact, and when the principal goal was to reap the benefits of mechanistic explanations by finding a. means of in­ corporating them within the guidelines of a teleological fmmework. Whereas the history of German biology in the early nineteenth century is usually dismissed as an unfortunate era dominated by arid speculation, the present study aims to reverse that judgment by showing that a consistent, workable program of research was elaborated by a well-connected group of German biologists and that it was based squarely on the unification of teleological and mechanistic models of explanation.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Teleological thinking has been steadfastly resisted by modern biology. And yet, in nearly every area of research biologists are hard pressed to find language that does not impute purposiveness to living forms. The life of the individual organism, if not life itself, seems to make use of a variety of strate gems in achieving its purposes. But in an age when physical models dominate our imagination and when physics itself has become accustomed to uncertainty relations and complementarity, biologists have learned to live with a kind of schizophrenic language, employing terms like 'selfish genes' and 'survival machines' to describe the behavior of organisms as if they were somehow purposive yet all the while intending that they are highly complicated mechanisms. The present study treats a period in the history of the life sciences when the imputation of purposiveness to biological organization was not regarded an embarrassment but rather an accepted fact, and when the principal goal was to reap the benefits of mechanistic explanations by finding a. means of in­ corporating them within the guidelines of a teleological fmmework. Whereas the history of German biology in the early nineteenth century is usually dismissed as an unfortunate era dominated by arid speculation, the present study aims to reverse that judgment by showing that a consistent, workable program of research was elaborated by a well-connected group of German biologists and that it was based squarely on the unification of teleological and mechanistic models of explanation.

More books from Springer Netherlands

Cover of the book Sulphur in Agroecosystems by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Research on PISA by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Researching Visual Arts Education in Museums and Galleries by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Self-Reference by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book School-Based Evaluation by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Tumors of the Central Nervous System, Volume 1 by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Autonomy and Clinical Medicine by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Pierre Nicole, Jansenist and Humanist by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Science Policy, Ethics, and Economic Methodology by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Community Adaptation and Vulnerability in Arctic Regions by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Ubiquitous Information Technologies and Applications by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Breast Cancer, a Heterogeneous Disease Entity by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Educational Research: Proofs, Arguments, and Other Reasonings by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Improving Quality Assurance in European Vocational Education and Training by T. Lenoir
Cover of the book Anthony Collins The Man and His Works by T. Lenoir
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy