Book contents
- Philosophy of Science for Biologists
- Philosophy of Science for Biologists
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Why Should Biologists Care about the Philosophy of Science?
- 2 What Constitutes an Explanation in Biology?
- 3 What Is Biological Knowledge?
- 4 What Is the Nature of Theories and Models in Biology?
- 5 How Are Biology Concepts Used and Transformed?
- 6 Why Does It Matter That Many Biology Concepts Are Metaphors?
- 7 How Do Concepts Contribute to Scientific Advancement?
- 8 How Can Conceptual Analysis Contribute to Scientific Practice?
- 9 What Methods Do Life Scientists Use?
- 10 Is It Possible to Scientifically Reconstruct the History of Life on Earth?
- 11 What Is the Basis of Biological Classification?
- 12 What Is the Nature of Scientific Controversies in the Biological Sciences?
- 13 What Is the Relation between Facts and Values in Biological Science?
- 14 A Philosopher in the Age of Creationism
- 15 How Can We Teach Philosophy of Science to Biologists?
- Further Reading
- Index
- References
2 - What Constitutes an Explanation in Biology?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 September 2020
Book contents
- Philosophy of Science for Biologists
- Philosophy of Science for Biologists
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Why Should Biologists Care about the Philosophy of Science?
- 2 What Constitutes an Explanation in Biology?
- 3 What Is Biological Knowledge?
- 4 What Is the Nature of Theories and Models in Biology?
- 5 How Are Biology Concepts Used and Transformed?
- 6 Why Does It Matter That Many Biology Concepts Are Metaphors?
- 7 How Do Concepts Contribute to Scientific Advancement?
- 8 How Can Conceptual Analysis Contribute to Scientific Practice?
- 9 What Methods Do Life Scientists Use?
- 10 Is It Possible to Scientifically Reconstruct the History of Life on Earth?
- 11 What Is the Basis of Biological Classification?
- 12 What Is the Nature of Scientific Controversies in the Biological Sciences?
- 13 What Is the Relation between Facts and Values in Biological Science?
- 14 A Philosopher in the Age of Creationism
- 15 How Can We Teach Philosophy of Science to Biologists?
- Further Reading
- Index
- References
Summary
“Explaining” and “explanation” are words that tend to feature prominently in even the most basic descriptions of science. This is a big part of what science is about: generating explanations of our world (see also Chapter 3). It seems to be a big part of what biology is all about as well. Research in biology undoubtedly leads to practical applications in pursuits from medicine to agriculture to conservation, but one of its fundamental aims is to generate understanding of the living world around – and within – us.
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- Information
- Philosophy of Science for Biologists , pp. 21 - 35Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020
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