What Biological Functions Are and Why They Matter

Author:   Justin Garson (Hunter College, City University of New York)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
ISBN:  

9781108472593


Pages:   246
Publication Date:   10 January 2019
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   Available To Order   Availability explained
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What Biological Functions Are and Why They Matter


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Author:   Justin Garson (Hunter College, City University of New York)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 1.70cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.470kg
ISBN:  

9781108472593


ISBN 10:   1108472591
Pages:   246
Publication Date:   10 January 2019
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. Background: 1. The strangeness of functions; 2. Function and selection; 3. Feedback and functions; Part II. Theory: 4. An explosion of selection processes; 5. Selection and construction; 6. A generalized selected effects theory of function; 7. Proper functions are proximal functions; 8. When functions do wrong; Part III. Applications: 9. Function pluralism; 10. What are mechanisms?; 11. What are mental disorders?; 12. A new kind of teleosemantics; A programmatic epilogue.

Reviews

Advance praise: 'Biological functions are much discussed but little understood. Justin Garson appeals to the explanatory depth of functional explanations to develop a powerful general theory of functions. This book will serve as a reference point for future debate.' David Papineau, King's College London Advance praise: 'Garson does a superb job of explaining just how central a philosophical understanding of functions is to a wide array of discussions in philosophy and science. These discussions include how to count junk DNA in the ENCODE project, how to classify traits and individuate mechanisms, how different kinds and levels of biological explanations relate to each other, the nature of health and disease, the nature of mental disorder, and even the fundamental basis of thought itself. In addition to being an excellent introduction to these issues, this book gives us a fresh, lively and comprehensive presentation of Garson's distinctive contributions.' Karen Neander, Duke University, North Carolina Advance praise: 'Biological functions are much discussed but little understood. Justin Garson appeals to the explanatory depth of functional explanations to develop a powerful general theory of functions. This book will serve as a reference point for future debate.' David Papineau, King's College London Advance praise: 'Garson does a superb job of explaining just how central a philosophical understanding of functions is to a wide array of discussions in philosophy and science. These discussions include how to count junk DNA in the ENCODE project, how to classify traits and individuate mechanisms, how different kinds and levels of biological explanations relate to each other, the nature of health and disease, the nature of mental disorder, and even the fundamental basis of thought itself. In addition to being an excellent introduction to these issues, this book gives us a fresh, lively and comprehensive presentation of Garson's distinctive contributions.' Karen Neander, Duke University, North Carolina


'Biological functions are much discussed but little understood. Justin Garson appeals to the explanatory depth of functional explanations to develop a powerful general theory of functions. This book will serve as a reference point for future debate.' David Papineau, King's College London 'Garson does a superb job of explaining just how central a philosophical understanding of functions is to a wide array of discussions in philosophy and science. These discussions include how to count junk DNA in the ENCODE project, how to classify traits and individuate mechanisms, how different kinds and levels of biological explanations relate to each other, the nature of health and disease, the nature of mental disorder, and even the fundamental basis of thought itself. In addition to being an excellent introduction to these issues, this book gives us a fresh, lively and comprehensive presentation of Garson's distinctive contributions.' Karen Neander, Duke University, North Carolina 'Biological functions are much discussed but little understood. Justin Garson appeals to the explanatory depth of functional explanations to develop a powerful general theory of functions. This book will serve as a reference point for future debate.' David Papineau, King's College London 'Garson does a superb job of explaining just how central a philosophical understanding of functions is to a wide array of discussions in philosophy and science. These discussions include how to count junk DNA in the ENCODE project, how to classify traits and individuate mechanisms, how different kinds and levels of biological explanations relate to each other, the nature of health and disease, the nature of mental disorder, and even the fundamental basis of thought itself. In addition to being an excellent introduction to these issues, this book gives us a fresh, lively and comprehensive presentation of Garson's distinctive contributions.' Karen Neander, Duke University, North Carolina


'Biological functions are much discussed but little understood. Justin Garson appeals to the explanatory depth of functional explanations to develop a powerful general theory of functions. This book will serve as a reference point for future debate.' David Papineau, King's College London 'Garson does a superb job of explaining just how central a philosophical understanding of functions is to a wide array of discussions in philosophy and science. These discussions include how to count junk DNA in the ENCODE project, how to classify traits and individuate mechanisms, how different kinds and levels of biological explanations relate to each other, the nature of health and disease, the nature of mental disorder, and even the fundamental basis of thought itself. In addition to being an excellent introduction to these issues, this book gives us a fresh, lively and comprehensive presentation of Garson's distinctive contributions.' Karen Neander, Duke University, North Carolina '[In] What Biological Functions Are and Why They Matter, Justin Garson formulates the major philosophical issues that a relevant theory of function should solve as three main puzzles, namely (1) the function/accident distinction, (2) dysfunction, and (3) the etiological explanatory value of function.' Etienne Roux, Metascience


Author Information

Justin Garson is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Hunter College, City University of New York. He is the author of The Biological Mind: A Philosophical Introduction (2014) and A Critical Overview of Biological Functions (2016).

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