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Contributions in Philosophy Ser.: Structure and Confirmation of Evolutionary Theory by Elisabet Lloyd (1988, Hardcover)

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Weight: 1.16 lbs. Number of Pages: 243. ISBN10: 0313255636. Publication Date: 1988-12-14. Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.

About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherBloomsbury Publishing USA

ISBN-100313255636

ISBN-139780313255632

eBay Product ID (ePID)91514

Product Key Features

Number of Pages243 Pages

Publication NameStructure and Confirmation of Evolutionary Theory

LanguageEnglish

SubjectGeneral, Linguistics / Historical & Comparative

Publication Year1988

TypeTextbook

AuthorElisabet Lloyd

Subject AreaLanguage Arts & Disciplines, History

SeriesContributions in Philosophy Ser.

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height0.6 in

Item Weight18.6 Oz

Item Length9.2 in

Item Width6.1 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceCollege Audience

LCCN88-003123

TitleLeadingThe

Reviews"In this rather esoteric treatment, Lloyd advocates 'using the semantic view of theory structure to understand evolutionary theory' and to 'illuminate the roles of different sorts of evidence in confirming evolutionary claims.' The book is written for advanced students of philosophy and biology but gives instructions for the best approach to understanding for those undergraduates, graduates, and faculty with little or no biology background. Lloyd gives a view of the structure of evolutionary theory based on mathematical models and makes use of this framework to describe a wide variety of subtheories. An analysis of the makeup of evolutionary models is used to clarify some vexing units of the problem of selection. There are 28 pages of helpful chapter-by-chapter notes and a well-formulated bibliography and index. An adjunct to information useful to the advanced student of contemporary evolutionary theory." Choice

Dewey Edition19

Series Volume NumberNo. 37

Number of Volumes1 vol.

Dewey Decimal575.01

Table Of ContentIntroduction: Other Descriptions of the Structure of Evolutionary Theory The Semantic Approach and Evolutionary Theory The Structure of Population Genetics Structured Populations: Group, Kin and Organismic Selection Models The Units of Selection Species Selection Genic Selection Confirmation of Evolutionary Models

SynopsisEvolutionary theory has long been debated, not only on religious grounds, but in terms of its usefulness as a scientific model. A common objection is that the theory does not fit the hypothetical-deductive standard used in the physical sciences and is therefore not good science. In this study, Lloyd contends with the scientific and philosophical critics of evolutionary theory. Employing the same type of semantic analysis that has been applied to physical theory, she offers an alternative view of evolutionary theory that shows biological and physical theories to be structurally similar. The author begins by reviewing recent debates concerning the existence or non-existence of evolutionary laws and the possibility of axiomizing evolutionary theory. The central discussion of Lloyd's work revolves around several problems that have not been resolved by other methods. These are, first, the problem of which units or entities are selected in nature; second, the problem of reductionism in genetics; and third, the problem of confirmation. Developing a view of evolutionary theory based on mathematical models, she uses this framework to describe a wide variety of evolutionary subtheories. She tests her analysis by comparing it with other approaches and applying it to problematic cases. Finally, she presents a view of confirmation appropriate to a model-oriented conception of theories. This original study explores some significant connections between science and philosophy and adds to our understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge.

LC Classification NumberQH366