Nature's Purposes: Analyses of Function and Design in Biology

by Colin Allen (Editor)

Within the natural sciences, only biologists take seriously teleological statements about design, purpose and adaptive function. Some biologists claim that to understand the complex morphological and behavioural traits of organisms we must say what they are for, which is to give a teleological explanation of why organisms have them. Others argue that the theory of natural selection, in providing statistical explanations for the same phenomena, obviates any need for teleological thinking. If teleology cannot be eliminated from biology, it raises fundamental questions about the nature of biological explanation and about the relationship of biology to the rest of science.

Genres: Biology

576 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 1998

Reviews

[Tomq · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of philosophy articles is intended for an academic audience, but most of the articles are accessible to anyone with an interest in contemporary philosophy.

While the focus is explicitly function and design in biology, the themes discussed (e.g. the nature of function) are relevant beyond the specific area of philosophy of biology. Those interested in philosophy of mind or the relationship between the normative and the descriptive will find many engaging and stimulating ideas here.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A seminal anthology on function and teleology in philosophy of biology. There is some overlap between this and David J. Buller's anthology published a year later, Function, Selection, & Design. If you can only read one, read this one. The 16/23 essays unique to this volume are the following:

-the introduction
-"Teleological Explanations in Evolutionary Biology", Francisco J. Ayala
-"Biological Teleology: Questions & Explanations", Robert N. Brandon
-"The Inference of Function from Structure in Fossils", M. J. S. Rudwick
-"Adaptation & the Form-Function Complex", Walter J. Bock & Gerd von Wahlert
-"Teleology Revisited", Ernest Nagel
-"Where's the Good in Teleology?" Mark Bedau
-"In Defense of Proper Functions", Ruth Garrett Millikan
-"Functions as Selected Effects: The Conceptual Analyst's Defense", Karen Neander
-"Functions without Purpose: The Uses of Causal Role Function in Evolutionary Biology", Ron Amundson & Fred Adams
-"Functions & Goal Directedness", Berent Enç & Fred Adams
-"Function, Fitness, & Disposition", Sandra D. Mitchell
-"The Concept of Function", R. A. Hinde
-"Historical Biology & the Problem of Design", George V. Lauder
-"Exaptation--A Missing Term in the Science of Form", Stephen Jay Gould & Elisabeth S. Vrba, and
-"Adaptation & the Form-Function Relation", Carl Gans.

Of these, my personal favorites were "Adaptation & the Form-Function Complex", "Teleology Revisited", "Where's the Good in Teleology?", and "Functions without Purpose: The Uses of Causal Role Function in Evolutionary Biology". Here are the seven essays which may be found in both anthologies:

-"Functions", Larry Wright
-"Functional Analysis", Cummins
-"Functions", John Bigelow & Robert Pargetter
-"Functional Analysis & Proper Functions", Paul E. Griffiths
-"A Modern History Theory of Functions", Peter Godfrey-Smith
-"Function & Design", Philip Kitcher
-"Biological Function, Adaptation, & Natural Design", Colin Allen & Marc Bekoff

Of these, my personal favorites were, "Functions" (both), "Functional Analysis", "Functional Analysis & Proper Functions", and "A Modern History Theory of Functions".