Instrumental Biology, or, the Disunity of Science
University of Chicago Press (1994)
| Abstract | Do the sciences aim to uncover the structure of nature, or are they ultimately a practical means of controlling our environment? In Instrumental Biology, or the Disunity of Science, Alexander Rosenberg argues that while physics and chemistry can develop laws that reveal the structure of natural phenomena, biology is fated to be a practical, instrumental discipline. Because of the complexity produced by natural selection, and because of the limits on human cognition, scientists are prevented from uncovering the basic structure of biological phenomena. Consequently, biology and all of the disciplines that rest upon it--psychology and the other human sciences--must aim at most to provide practical tools for coping with the natural world rather than a complete theoretical understanding of it. | |||||||||
| Keywords | Biology Philosophy Science Philosophy Instrumentalism (Philosophy | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Buy the book | $20.00 new (28% off) $26.13 direct from Amazon (5% off) Amazon page | |||||||||
| Call number | QH331.R66 1994 | |||||||||
| ISBN(s) | 0226727254 0226727262 9780226727257 | |||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,631 |
| External links |
  Try with proxy. |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesAlexander Rosenberg (2006). Darwinian Reductionism, or, How to Stop Worrying and Love Molecular Biology. University of Chicago Press.
Alex Rosenberg (2001). How is Biological Explanation Possible? British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 52 (4):735-760.
Ingo Brigandt (2011). Philosophy of Biology. In Steven French & Juha Saatsi (eds.), The Continuum Companion to the Philosophy of Science. Continuum Press.
Arno Wouters (2005). The Functional Perspective of Organismal Biology. In Thomas Reydon & Lia Hemerik (eds.), Current Themes in Theoretical Biology. Springer.
Attila Grandpierre (2011). The Biological Principle of Natural Sciences and the Logos of Life of Natural Philosophy: A Comparison and the Perspectives of Unifying the Science and Philosophy of Life. Analecta Husserliana 110 (Part II):711-727.
Alex Rosenberg (2005). Lessons From Biology for Philosophy of the Human Sciences. Philosophy of the Social Sciences 35 (1):3-19.
Elliott Sober (1997). Two Outbreaks of Lawlessness in Recent Philosophy of Biology. Philosophy of Science 64 (4):467.
Alexander Rosenberg (1985). The Structure of Biological Science. Cambridge University Press.
Bradley E. Wilson (1996). Book Review:Instrumental Biology, or the Disunity of Science Alexander Rosenberg. [REVIEW] Philosophy of Science 63 (1):139-.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-01-28Total downloads15 ( #78,526 of 548,972 )Recent downloads (6 months)1 ( #63,511 of 548,972 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
