Understanding Species

Häftad, Engelska, 2023

208 kr

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Beskrivning

Are species worth saving? Can they be resurrected by technology? What is the use of species in biomedicine? These questions all depend on a clear definition of the concept of 'species', yet biologists have long struggled to define this term. In this accessible book, John S. Wilkins provides an introduction to the concept of 'species' in biology, philosophy, ethics, policymaking and conservation. Using clear language and easy-to-understand examples throughout, the book provides a history of species and why we use them. It encourages readers to appreciate the philosophical depth of the concept as well as its connections to logic and science. For any interested reader, this short text highlights the complexities of a single idea in biology, the problems with the concept of 'species' and the benefits of it in helping us to answer the bigger questions and understand our living world.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2023-04-20
Mått:126 x 178 x 10 mm
Vikt:170 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Understanding Life
Antal sidor:150
Förlag:Cambridge University Press
ISBN:9781108987196

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Mer om författaren

John S. Wilkins teaches at the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne, Australia. His main research interests include the philosophy and history of biology and classification, and the cognitive science of religion. He is the author of many books, including Species: A History of the Idea (CRC Press, 2018).

Recensioner i media

'The species problem is a vexing and important one, and John Wilkins has done more than anyone else to dig into its history and integrate it with philosophy past and present. Thus he was the perfect author for this book, which is a wonderful, accessible entryway to the diverse set of issues bearing on why species have been such a 'thing' for 2000 years. My own conclusion is to follow Darwin and acknowledge the species rank is a meaningless human construct - the full tree of life is what matters, not just the single level within it arbitrarily called species. But to decide whether to agree with me or not, you need to absorb the content in this book.' Brent D. Mishler, author of What, if Anything, are Species?, Distinguished Professor of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Innehållsförteckning

Foreword; Preface; 1. How species matter; 2. Classifying species; 3. Making species; 4. A short history of species and kinds; 5. Philosophy and species; 6. Finding species; 7. Extinction, or how species are lost; 8. The value of species; 9. Replacing species; 10. Conclusions and summary; Summary of misunderstandings of species; Readings; Figure credits; Index.