Cart
Free US shipping over $10
Proud to be B-Corp

The Species Problem Richard A. Richards (University of Alabama)

The Species Problem By Richard A. Richards (University of Alabama)

The Species Problem by Richard A. Richards (University of Alabama)


$33.39
Condition - New
Only 2 left

Summary

This study surveys the history of thinking about species from Aristotle to modern biology to better understand the origin and significance of the species problem. It advocates a solution based on the idea of the division of conceptual labor, whereby species concepts function in different ways theoretically and operationally.

The Species Problem Summary

The Species Problem: A Philosophical Analysis by Richard A. Richards (University of Alabama)

There is long-standing disagreement among systematists about how to divide biodiversity into species. Over twenty different species concepts are used to group organisms, according to criteria as diverse as morphological or molecular similarity, interbreeding and genealogical relationships. This, combined with the implications of evolutionary biology, raises the worry that either there is no single kind of species, or that species are not real. This book surveys the history of thinking about species from Aristotle to modern systematics in order to understand the origin of the problem, and advocates a solution based on the idea of the division of conceptual labor, whereby species concepts function in different ways - theoretically and operationally. It also considers related topics such as individuality and the metaphysics of evolution, and how scientific terms get their meaning. This important addition to the current debate will be essential for philosophers and historians of science, and for biologists.

The Species Problem Reviews

'... an entertaining read and well organized ... a launching off point for a new direction in studying the species problem.' Metascience

About Richard A. Richards (University of Alabama)

Richard A. Richards is Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Alabama. He has published in major journals on a variety of topics in the philosophy of science and biology, including phylogenetic inference, theory of choice, taxonomy, and species concepts. He has also written extensively on Darwin's views about artificial selection and domestic breeding, and contributed to The Cambridge Companion to the Origins of Species (Cambridge, 2009).

Table of Contents

1. The species problem; 2. The transformation of Aristotle; 3. Linnaeus and the naturalists; 4. Darwin and the proliferation of species concepts; 5. The division of conceptual labor solution; 6. Species and the metaphysics of evolution; 7. Meaning, reference and conceptual change; 8. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

Additional information

NLS9781107541078
9781107541078
1107541077
The Species Problem: A Philosophical Analysis by Richard A. Richards (University of Alabama)
New
Paperback
Cambridge University Press
2015-07-30
248
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a new book - be the first to read this copy. With untouched pages and a perfect binding, your brand new copy is ready to be opened for the first time

Customer Reviews - The Species Problem