当代生物学哲学研究进展解读

Interpretation of the Research Progress of Contemporary Philosophy of Biology

本文是菲利普.加斯珀为《科学哲学》一书的第二部分"生物学哲学"所写的导言。他在文中对后面的作者们所讨论的问题进行了简要的叙述和评论。作者认为,科学哲学在20世纪对物理学的过度关注使得它无法为生物学这样丰富而复杂的学科新近取得的诸多进展提供合理的发展模式和概念;生物哲学家们对还原、自然选择的对象、社会生物学、与系统论相关的生物学进行了深入细致、十分富有成效的热烈讨论。

Philip Gasper writes the article as an introduction to the following essays discussing issues in the philosophy of biology.He makes a concise commentary on the main issues and discussions.The author claims that,in the 20th century,focusing exclusively on physics,the philosophy of science could hardly come up with proper models and concepts for such an important and successful science as biology.The philosophers of biology discuss deeply and fruitfully on issues including reduction,the unit of natural selection and sociobiology etc…