Biological Autonomy A Philosophical and Theoretical Enquiry /

• Main Authors: Moreno, Alvaro (Author), Mossio, Matteo (Author)
• Corporate Author: SpringerLink (Online service)
• Format: Electronic eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands : Imprint: Springer, 2015.
• Series: History, Philosophy and Theory of the Life Sciences, 12
• Subjects: Philosophy.; Biology > Philosophy.; Systems biology.; Cognitive psychology.; Philosophy of Biology.; Systems Biology.; Cognitive Psychology.

Since Darwin, Biology has been framed on the idea of evolution by natural selection, which has profoundly influenced the scientific and philosophical comprehension of biological phenomena and of our place in Nature. This book argues that contemporary biology should progress towards and revolve aroun...

Table of Contents:

• Introduction: Life as autonomy
• I. Constraints and organisational closure
• II. Biological emergence and inter-levels causation
• III. Teleology, normativity, and functionality
• IV. Agency
• V. Evolution: the historical dimension of autonomy
• VI. Organisms and levels of autonomy
• VII. Cognition
• VIII. Opening conclusions
• Index.