The hole in the whale - The philosophy of biology
philosophy of science lightDr. Thomas P. Weber, Spektrumdirekt - The Science Newspaper on the Internet, February 29, 2004 The philosophy of science has undergone a decisive change in the past three decades. Only a few philosophers show interest in abstract theories and supposedly universally valid laws of nature. Instead, individual sciences with their own explanations and models are in the foreground. This development was not insignificantly favored by debates about the scientific status of evolutionary biology, which was able to establish itself as a respectable science, but could never come up with an abstraction, standardization and generally applicable laws that would satisfy physicists. Some influential schools of philosophy have learned from this development and have long since and irrevocably abandoned the idea of the unity of the sciences. In dialogue with important scientists, Christian Göldenboog tries to show how thinking about truth, natural laws and knowledge has benefited from the observation of living nature. "The Hole in the Whale" is immensely reader-friendly, but unfortunately reveals profound weaknesses in terms of content. Even the starting point of Göldenboog's remarks is questionable. Whether physics ever had the status of a so-called leading science in the late 19th and 20th centuries is more than questionable. Only within a small circle of analytical philosophers did physics enjoy almost unassailable respect. Other important philosophical schools of thought, such as phenomenology, have always had comparatively little to do with physics and have nevertheless become important for the sciences, such as cognitive science. Even cosmology has never been reduced to physics; Since the 17th century, reflections on the role of life in space have played a central role in cosmology. These speculations were inspired first by the theology and ancient philosophy of atomism, and later almost exclusively by Darwinism. A questionable starting point, however, leads Göldenboog to a correct conclusion: biology offers a view of natural phenomena that can have immense philosophical implications. In a completely different way than physics, biology asks questions about the structure of the living world and about our ability to understand mechanisms of action in nature, which are often historically determined. However, Göldenboog manages to disappoint: the reader searches in vain for reflection and critical questioning of the positions presented. His interlocutors are allowed to put forward their points of view without critical objections. John Maynard Smith is undoubtedly one of the most significant and influential figures in modern evolutionary biology, but his views on the concept of information in biology are highly questionable. In a conversation with the ant researcher Bert Hölldobler, any critical examination of sociobiology is avoided. Kin selection may be an adequate explanation for the sociality of ants and other Hymenoptera, but there is good reason to believe that group selection - a really bad word for many radical sociobiologists - plays a crucial role in the evolution of sociality in primates and humans could have played. A philosophy must face up to precisely these controversial questions and must not exhaust itself in reporting to the court. If you are not only looking for entertaining reading, but also for a readable and at the same time critical and reflective introduction to the philosophy of biology (which usually means evolutionary biology) and its explanatory models, you should avoid Göldenboog's book. Unfortunately, German-language books either move in the thin air of high abstraction, such as Martin Mahner's and Mario Bunge's "Philosophical Foundations of Biology" (Springer), or on the level of triviality. Unfortunately only available in English, Kim Sterelny and Paul Griffiths' "Sex and Death" (University of Chicago Press) is an excellent, jargon-free introduction to the philosophy of biology. dr Thomas P. Weber, scientist at the Institute of Animal Ecology at Lund University (Sweden) and author
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