{"product_id":"promises-and-limits-of-reductionism-in-the-biomedical-sciences-isbn-9780471498506","title":"Promises and Limits of Reductionism in the Biomedical Sciences","description":"Reductionism as a scientific methodology has been extraordinarily successful in biology. However, recent developments in molecular biology have shown that reductionism is seriously inadequate in dealing with the mind-boggling complexity of integrated biological systems.\u003cbr\u003e This title presents an appropriate balance between science and philosophy and covers traditional philosophical treatments of reductionism as well as the benefits and shortcomings of reductionism in particular areas of science.\u003cbr\u003e Discussing the issue of reductionism in the practice of medicine it takes into account the holistic and integrative aspects that require the context of the patient in his biological and psychological entirety.\u003cbr\u003e The emerging picture is that what first seems like hopeless disagreements turn out to be differences in emphasis. Although genes play an important role in biology, the focus on genetics and genomics has often been misleading. The consensus view leads to pluralism: both reductionst methods and a more integrative approach to biological complexity are required, depending on the questions that are asked.\u003cbr\u003e * An even balance of contributions from scientists and philosophers of science - representing a unique interchange between both communities interested in reductionism- Anthologie mit Beiträgen aus dem Grenzgebiet zwischen Naturwissenschaft und Philosophie\u003cbr\u003e - diskutiert werden folgende Bereiche:\u003cbr\u003e - Reduktionismus im Rahmen der traditionellen Philosophie (Hull, Rosenberg, Griesemer und Sarkar)\u003cbr\u003e - Vor- und Nachteile des Reduktionismus in bestimmten Gebieten der Naturwissenschaften (Williams, Debru, Morange, Van Reganmortal)\u003cbr\u003e - Reduktionismus in der medizinischen Praxis (Lloyd, Tauber, Schaffner)  Preface\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Contributors\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e About the Editors\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Introduction (D.L. Hull and M.H.V. Van Regenmortel)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Emergent Properties of Biological Molecules and Cells (R. P. J. Williams)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e From Nineteenth Century Ideas on Reduction in Physiology to Non-reductive Explanations in Twentieth Century Biochemistry (C. Debru)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Pitfalls of Reductionism in Immunology (M. H. V. Van Regenmortel)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Reductionism in Medicine: Social Aspects of Health (E.A. Lloyd)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e 'Who's Afraid of Reductionism?' 'I am!' (S. Shostak)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Round Table Discussion 1 (Chair: A. Rosenberg)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Reductionism in a Historical Science (A. Rosenberg)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Varieties of Reductionism: Derivation and Gene Selection (D. L. Hull)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Gene: Between Holism and Reductionism (M. Morange)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Genes versus Molecules: How to, and How Not To, Be a Reductionist (S. Sarak)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Limits on Reproduction: A Reductionist Research Strategy in Evolutionary Biology (J. Griesemer)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Evolutionary Psychology: A Case Study in the Poverty of Genetic Determinism (J. Dupre)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Round Table Discussion 2 (Chair: M.H.V. Van Regenmortel)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Ethical Imperative of Holism in Medicine (A. Tauber)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Levels of Explanation in Human Behaviour: the Poverty of Evolutionary Psychology (S. P. R. Rose)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Reductionism and Social Policy (D. Nelkin)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Reductionism, Complexity and Molecular Medicine: Genetic Chips and the 'Globalization' of the Genome (K. Schaffner)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Round Table Discussion 3 (Chair: K.F. Schaffner)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Bibliography\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Index \"...will stimulate anyone with an interest in philosophy or science to reflect on reductionism...fruitful dialogues offer a rich trove of insights...\" (The Quarterly Review of Biology, Sept 2003)  \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDavid L. Hull\u003c\/strong\u003e has been teaching philosophy of biology for almost forty years. He received his PhD from the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Indiana University and has taught at the University of Wisconisn-Milwuaukee and Northwestern University. He has published a dozen books and anthologies and over a hundred papers. He is past president of the Philosophy of Science Association, The Society for Systematic Zoology and the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarc Van Regenmortel\u003c\/strong\u003e was for 20 years Director of the Immunochemistry Laboratory at the CNRS Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, in Strasbourg, France. Educated in Brussels, Belgium, he received his PhD degree (1961) in Virology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and held professorship appointments at several Universities in South Africa and France. The author or editor of 14 books in virology and immunochemistry, he has published over 350 scientific papers and reviews. He is Editor-in-Chief of the \u003cem\u003eJournal of Molecular Recognition\u003c\/em\u003e and of \u003cem\u003eArchives of Virology\u003c\/em\u003e, an Executive Editor of \u003cem\u003eAnalytical Biochemistry\u003c\/em\u003e and serves on the editorial boards of seven other journals. He was for nine years (1990-1999) Secretary General of the International Union of Microbiological Societies and for three years (1987-1990) Chairman of its Virology Division. He is since 1996 the President of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReductionism as a scientific methodology has been extraordinarily successful in biology. However, recent developments in molecular biology have shown that reductionism is seriously inadequate in dealing with the mind-boggling complexity of integrated biological systems. Biomolecules are not only very complicated molecular machines but are the results of the whole evolutionary history of life. Earlier enthusiasm for the reduction of biology to chemistry and physics has given place to the appreciation of biology as an essentially historical discipline that requires functional and not only structural explanations. To explain and treat human disease, it is nearly always necessary to move beyond genetic reductionism and take into account holistic and integrative aspects that require the context of the patient in his or her biological and psychological entirety.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePromises and Limits of Reductionism in the Biomedical Sciences\u003c\/i\u003e highlights:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe traditional philosophical treatments of reductionism\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe benefits and shortcomings of reductionism in particular areas of science\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe issue of reductionism in the practice of medicine\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe deficiencies of evolutionary psychology and the inadequacy of reductive explanations\u003c\/li\u003e of human behaviour in terms of single factors\u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe picture that emerges in this anthology is that what might at first seem like hopeless disagreement turns out to be rather differences in emphasis. Although genes play an important role in biology, the focus on genetics and genomics has often been misleading. The consensus view leads to pluralism: both reductionist methods and a more integrative approach to biological complexity are required, depending on the questions that are asked.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis book has an excellent balance between contributions from scientists and philosophers of science. It will appeal to philosophers and scientists alike and represents a unique interchange between individuals from both communities interested in reductionism.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47989876130021,"sku":"NP9780471498506","price":382.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780471498506.jpg?v=1761785756","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/promises-and-limits-of-reductionism-in-the-biomedical-sciences-isbn-9780471498506","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}