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Explaining Cancer: Finding Order in Disorder
In Explaining Cancer , Anya Plutynski addresses a variety of philosophical questions that arise in the context of cancer science and medicine. She begins with the following
· How do scientists classify cancer? Do these classifications reflect nature's "joints"?
· How do cancer scientists identify and classify early stage cancers?
· What does it mean to say that cancer is a "genetic" disease? What role do genes play in "mechanisms for" cancer?
· What are the most important environmental causes of cancer, and how do epidemiologists investigate these causes?
· How exactly has our evolutionary history made us vulnerable to cancer?
Explaining Cancer uses these questions as an entrée into a family of philosophical debates. It uses case studies of scientific practice to reframe philosophical debates about natural classification in science and medicine, the problem of drawing the line between disease and health, mechanistic reasoning in science, pragmatics and evidence, the roles of models and modeling in science, and the nature of scientific explanation.
· How do scientists classify cancer? Do these classifications reflect nature's "joints"?
· How do cancer scientists identify and classify early stage cancers?
· What does it mean to say that cancer is a "genetic" disease? What role do genes play in "mechanisms for" cancer?
· What are the most important environmental causes of cancer, and how do epidemiologists investigate these causes?
· How exactly has our evolutionary history made us vulnerable to cancer?
Explaining Cancer uses these questions as an entrée into a family of philosophical debates. It uses case studies of scientific practice to reframe philosophical debates about natural classification in science and medicine, the problem of drawing the line between disease and health, mechanistic reasoning in science, pragmatics and evidence, the roles of models and modeling in science, and the nature of scientific explanation.
- GenresPhilosophyScience
280 pages, Hardcover
Published August 15, 2018
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January 1, 2024
Wow, what a great read! There is no doubt it deserved to win the 2021 Lakatos award.
The first 200 pages of the book effectively are the building foundation of the biology of cancer and different ways of how we can interpret the problem of cancer; why we develop cancer? what is cancer? is cancer genetic? is cancer environmental?
Plutynski goes through all of these ideas and gives a strong view in the camp and then against it, bringing my little knowledge of biology and cancer to a fundamental level to explain the importance of theoretical work within the field philosophy of science. The book also goes through other philosophy of science issues, such as causal theory and with examples of cancer (such as smoking and lung cancer); it was a truly amazing, eye-opening and intense read.
The book is quite difficult to read; however, that is not to try and scare away anyone who wants to read it. The book definitely deserves a re-read, as I guarantee some concepts didn't sink with me in my first reading.
The first 200 pages of the book effectively are the building foundation of the biology of cancer and different ways of how we can interpret the problem of cancer; why we develop cancer? what is cancer? is cancer genetic? is cancer environmental?
Plutynski goes through all of these ideas and gives a strong view in the camp and then against it, bringing my little knowledge of biology and cancer to a fundamental level to explain the importance of theoretical work within the field philosophy of science. The book also goes through other philosophy of science issues, such as causal theory and with examples of cancer (such as smoking and lung cancer); it was a truly amazing, eye-opening and intense read.
The book is quite difficult to read; however, that is not to try and scare away anyone who wants to read it. The book definitely deserves a re-read, as I guarantee some concepts didn't sink with me in my first reading.
Displaying 1 of 1 review