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Empiricism and Darwin’s Science

  • Book
  • © 1991

Overview

Authors:
  1. Fred Wilson

    1. Philosophy Department, University of Toronto, Canada

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Part of the book series: The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science (WONS, volume 47)

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Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
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  2. Explanation and Unification

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Positivist Models of Explanation

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 2-9

    3. The Abstractive Nature of Theories

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 10-55

    4. Composition Laws

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 56-78

    5. Reduction

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 79-98

  3. Explanation in Biology

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 99-99
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    2. Explanation and Imperfect Laws in Biology

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 100-130

    3. Purpose and Function in Biology

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 131-162

  4. Darwin’s Science

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 163-163
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    2. Biogeographical Explanations

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 164-172

    3. The Structure of Darwin’s Theory

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 173-205

    4. Some Methodological Criticisms of Darwin’s Theory

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 206-229

    5. The Evidential Support for Darwin’s Theory

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 230-268

    6. The Logical Structure of Darwin’s Argument

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 269-298

  5. Conclusion

    1. Conclusion

      • Fred Wilson
      Pages 299-299

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 300-361
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Keywords

About this book

I would like to record my thanks to Paul Thompson for useful conver­ sations over the years, and also to several generations of students who have helped me develop my ideas on biological theory and on Darwin. My wife has, as usual, been more than helpful; in particular she typed a good portion of the manuscript while I was on leave a few years ago, more now than I like to remember. My parents were both looking forward to holding a final copy of this book. I only regret that my mother did not live long enough to see its completion. I must also thank the publishers and their staff. They have been re­ markably patient about meeting deadlines - promises were repeatedly made and then, owing to family situations, had to be broken - and for this I am considerably in their debt. I would further like to thank the following authors and publishers for permission to use their work: R. C. Lewontin, The Genetic Basis of Evolutionary Change, Figure 1, p. 14; © 1964 Columbia University Press; reprinted here by kind permission of the author and publisher. F. Wilson, 'Goudge's Contribution to the Philosophy of Science', in L. W. Sumner, J. G. Slater, and F. Wilson (eds.), Pragmatism and Purpose: Essays in Honour of T. A. Goudge; © 1964 University of Toronto Press; reproduced here in part by kind permission of all the editors and the publisher.

Reviews

`In conclusion, then, Empiricism and Darwin's Science should be on the shelves of all those who take an interest in the philosophy of biology and, in particular, of all those who wonder whether the foundations of biological science at the end of the twentieth century are as shaky as those of physics at the close of the nineteenth.' Annals of Human Biology, 20:1 (1993)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Philosophy Department, University of Toronto, Canada

    Fred Wilson

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Empiricism and Darwin’s Science

  • Authors: Fred Wilson

  • Series Title: The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3756-0

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1991

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-7923-1019-8Published: 31 August 1991

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-94-010-5671-7Published: 27 September 2012

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-011-3756-0Published: 06 December 2012

  • Series ISSN: 1566-659X

  • Series E-ISSN: 2215-1974

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIV, 361

  • Topics: Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Biology, History, general

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