Résumé
This book offers an examination of functional explanation
as it is used in biology and the social sciences, and
focuses on the kinds of philosophical presuppositions that
such explanations carry with them. It tackles such
questions as: Why are some things explained functionally
while others are not? What do the functional explanations
tell us about how these objects are conceptualized? What do
we commit ourselves to when we give and take functional
explanations in the life sciences and the social sciences?
McLaughlin gives a critical review of the debate on
functional explanation in the philosophy of science that
has occurred over the last fifty years. He discusses the
history of the philosophical question of teleology, and
provides a comprehensive review of the post-war literature
on functional explanation. What Functions Explain provides
a sophisticated and detailed Aristotelian analysis of our
concept of natural functions, and offers a positive
contribution to the ongoing debate on the topic.
Contents
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction 3
- 2 The problem of Teleology 16
- 3 Intentions and the Functions of Artifacts 42
- 4 Basic Positions in Philosophy of Science: Hempel and Nagel 65
- 5 The Etiological View 82
- 6 The Dispositional View 118
- 7 Artifacts and Organisms 142
- 8 Feedback Mechanisms and Their Beneficiaries 162
- 9 Having a Good 191
- 10 What Functions Explain 205
- Notes 215
- Bibliography 237
- Index 255
Caractéristiques techniques
| PAPIER | |
| Éditeur(s) | Cambridge University Press |
| Auteur(s) | Peter McLaughlin |
| Parution | 01/05/2001 |
| Nb. de pages | 259 |
| Format | 15,5 x 23,5 |
| Couverture | Relié |
| Poids | 502g |
| Intérieur | Noir et Blanc |
| EAN13 | 9780521782333 |
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