Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology

Francisco J. Ayala is Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, USA. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. In 2001, he received the National Medal of Science. Ayala has published more than 950 articles and is the author or editor of 31 books. He has been named the Renaissance Man of Evolutionary Biology by The New York Times. Robert Arp is an analyst at The Analysis Group, LLC who has interests in philosophy of biology and ontology in the informatics sense. He is the author of Scenario Visualization: An Evolutionary Account of Creative Problem Solving (2008), and co-editor of Philosophy of Biology: An Anthology (Blackwell, 2009).

• Notes on Contributors ixGeneral Introduction 1References and Further Reading 7Part I Is It Possible To Reduce Biological Explanations To Explanations In Chemistry and/or Physics? 13Introduction 13References and Further Reading 151 It is Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics 19Evelyn Fox Keller2 It is Not Possible to Reduce Biological Explanations to Explanations in Chemistry and/or Physics 32John DupréPart II Have Traits Evolved To Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage? 49Introduction 49References and Further Reading 513 Traits Have Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage 53Mark Perlman4 Traits Have Not Evolved to Function the Way They Do Because of a Past Advantage 72Robert Cummins and Martin RothPart III Are Species Real? 87Introduction 87References and Further Reading 885 Species Are Real Biological Entities 91Michael F. Claridge6 Species Are Not Uniquely Real Biological Entities 110Brent D. MishlerPart IV Does Selection Operate Primarily On Genes? 123Introduction 123References and Further Reading 1257 Selection Does Operate Primarily on Genes: In Defense of the Gene as the Unit of Selection 127Carmen Sapienza8 Selection Does Not Operate Primarily on Genes 141Richard M. BurianPart V Are Microevolution and Macroevolution Governed By the Same Processes? 165Introduction 165References and Further Reading 1669 Microevolution and Macroevolution Are Governed by the Same Processes 169Michael R. Dietrich10 Microevolution and Macroevolution Are Not Governed by the Same Processes 180Douglas H. ErwinPart VI Does Evolutionary Developmental Biology Offer a Significant Challenge To the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm? 195Introduction 195References and Further Reading 19711 Evolutionary Developmental Biology Offers a Significant Challenge to the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm 199Manfred D. Laubichler12 Evolutionary Developmental Biology Does Not Offer a Significant Challenge to the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm 213Alessandro MinelliPart VII Were the Basic Components of the Human Mind Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch? 227Introduction 227References and Further Reading 22813 The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch 231Valerie G. Starratt and Todd K. Shackelford14 The Basic Components of the Human Mind Were Not Solidified During the Pleistocene Epoch 243Stephen M. DownesPart VIII Does Memetics Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution? 253Introduction 253References and Further Reading 25415 Memetics Does Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution 255Susan Blackmore16 Memetics Does Not Provide a Useful Way of Understanding Cultural Evolution: A Developmental Perspective 273William C. WimsattPart IX Can the Biological Sciences Act As a Ground For Ethics? 293Introduction 293References and Further Reading 29517 The Biological Sciences Can Act as a Ground for Ethics 297Michael Ruse18 What the Biological Sciences Can and Cannot Contribute to Ethics 316Francisco J. AyalaPart X Is There a Place For Intelligent Design In the Philosophy of Biology? 337Introduction 337References and Further Reading 34019 There is a Place for Intelligent Design in the Philosophy of Biology: Intelligent Design in (Philosophy of) Biology: Some Legitimate Roles 343Del Ratzsch20 There is No Place for Intelligent Design in the Philosophy of Biology: Intelligent Design is Not Science 364Francisco J. AyalaIndex 391

“All chapters (including the very interesting contributions on the species problem by Claridge and Mishler, as well as the stimulating papers on evolutionary ethics by Ruse and Ayala) serve as an excellent introduction to the most hotly debated topics in the philosophy of biology today.”  (Metascience, 2011)"Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above". (Choice, 1 November 2010) Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology"A very fine contribution to the pedagogical literature on philosophy of biology. The editors are to be congratulated for the thoughtfulness that went into producing this text. May it gain the wide acceptance it deserves." (Science & Education, March 2010) is an engaging anthology with many interesting contributions.  The strength of the book is the format: two eminent representatives of the biophilosophical community have their say on a pivotal biophilosophical issue.” (Metapsychology, May 2010)