Images of Development

Cor van der Weele is Assistant Professor of Science and Ethics at Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

"Images of Development introduces biology and philosophy for specialists and, at the same time, for readers not acquainted with one or both of these fields. The amazing thing is that, as one continues reading, one notices after a while that the two disciplines merge in such a way that you can't tell them apart anymore. This is philosophy of biology at its best."This book offers a perspective on developmental biology, evolutionary biology, genetics, and relations between these disciplines which is entirely new. In forging relations, it uncovers minor and major biases, not least those concerning overemphases on genetics. This ultimately leads to a view of relations between ethics and science which should have profound consequences for ethics and science alike." — Wim J. van der Steen, author of A Practical Philosophy for the Life Sciences"Van der Weele covers many important topics and relates them to each other very well. The focus on environmental causes is a welcome counterbalance to overemphasis on the gene, and her discussion of the pragmatics of science is timely." — Susan Oyama, John Jay College, City University of New York and CUNY Graduate School

• List of Illustrations Foreword 1. Introduction: How to Understand Development? ChoicesThree Approaches to DevelopmentMetaphors and ScienceEnvironmental Influence: A General Picture Is Not EnoughMoralityRelationships with Other Discussions 2. Three Casual Approaches Metaphors Surrounding DNASegmentation in DrosophilaSwitches and ResponsesFields/Structures: Goodwin versus Neo-DarwinsimNetworks/ConstructionsComparison and Conclusions 3. Explanations in their Theoretical Context Completeness and the Ideal Explanatory TextThe Ideal Text and PragmatismTrade-OffsLinguistic Choices: MetaphorsCasual Explanation: DifferencesCasual Explanation in GeneticsWhat Is Relational CausationStructuralist CausationContructionist CausationSimilarities and DifferencesImplications for the Pragmatics of Casual Explanation 4. Development and Evolution Integrating Separate DisciplinesProximate and Ultimate CausesInternal versus External CausesIntegration: Internal Constraints?Different Roles for the EnvironmentEpigenetics and EvolutionDevelopmental Systems and the Boundary Problem 5. Environmental Causes in Ontogeny Conceptual Tools: Norms of Reaction... And PolyphenismsEpigenetics: Study of Gene RegulationHeat-Shock ProteinsMaking a DifferenceAbnormal EnvironmentsToward an Ecology of Development 6. Ethics of Attention Garfinkel and Value-Laden ExplanationsNonmoral Motives: Positivity BiasCasual Choices and their ContextContested Scientific ChoicesEthics of Attention Notes References Coda Index