Beyond Mechanism: Putting Life Back Into Biology

It has been said that new discoveries and developments in the human, social, and natural sciences hang “in the air” (Bowler, 1983; 2008) prior to their consummation. While neo-Darwinist biology has been powerfully served by its mechanistic metaphysic and a reductionist methodology in which living organisms are considered machines, many of the chapters in this volume place this paradigm into question. Pairing scientists and philosophers together, this volume explores what might be termed “the New Frontiers” of biology, namely contemporary areas of research that appear to call an updating, a supplementation, or a relaxation of some of the main tenets of the Modern Synthesis. Such areas of investigation include: Emergence Theory, Systems Biology, Biosemiotics, Homeostasis, Symbiogenesis, Niche Construction, the Theory of Organic Selection (also known as “the Baldwin Effect”), Self-Organization and Teleodynamics, as well as Epigenetics. Most of the chapters in this book offer critical reflections on the neo-Darwinist outlook and work to promote a novel synthesis that is open to a greater degree of inclusivity as well as to a more holistic orientation in the biological sciences.

Politics & Social Sciences

SAGAN, DORION

Henning, Brian G.

Scarfe, Adam

Philosophy

Lexington Books

The Ethics of Creativity: Beauty, Morality, and Nature in a Processive Cosmos

A central concern of nearly every environmental ethic is its desire to extend the scope of direct moral concern beyond human beings to plants, nonhuman animals, and the systems of which they are a part. Although nearly all environmental philosophies have long since rejected modernity’s conception of individuals as isolated and independent substances, few have replaced this worldview with an alternative that is adequate to the organic, processive world in which we find ourselves. In this context, Brian G. Henning argues that the often overlooked work of Alfred North Whitehead has the potential to make a significant contribution to environmental ethics. Additionally inspired by classical American philosophers such as William James, John Dewey and Charles Sanders Pierce and environmental philosophers such as Aldo Leopold, Peter Singer, Albert Schweitzer, and Arne Naess, Henning develops an ethical theory of which the seminal insight is called “The Ethics of Creativity.”
By systematically examining and developing a conception of individuality that is equally at home with the microscopic world of subatomic events and the macroscopic world of ecosystems, The Ethics of Creativity correctly emphasizes the well-being of wholes, while not losing sight of the importance of the unique centers of value that constitute these wholes. In this way, The Ethics of Creativity has the potential to be a unique voice in contemporary moral philosophy.

University of Pittsburgh Press

Collaborators Mary Katherine Birge, Rodica Stoicoiu, Ryan Taylor, and Brian Henning explore in four illuminating chapters the rich and complex history of the biblical creation accounts, the nature of science investigation, the ethical and philosophical significance of the theory of evolution, and the all-enveloping role of evolutionary theory in the deepening and broadening of faith. In the process, the authors expand readers' understanding of the compatibility between religion and science. Readers will learn that they need not choose religion over science or faith over reason, and that evolution does not threaten but rather enrichs faith. The authors make it clear to readers that regardless of what religious or non-religious background they come from--regardless of their religious knowledge and experiences--they can discover that science and religion are not enemies, but are companions in the search for truth. The fresh and fascinating Genesis, Evolution and the Search for a Reasoned Faith explores both the nature of science and religion and the intelligent and intimate conversation that is necessary in the search for truth.

Genesis, Evolution, and the Search for a Reasoned Faith

Taylor, Ryan

Birge SSJ, Mary Katherine

Stoicoiu, Rodica

Anselm Academic

Value, Beauty and Nature: The Philosophy of Organism and the Metaphysical Foundations of Environmental Ethics (Suny Series in Environmental Philosophy and Ethics)

State Univ of New York Pr

Value, Beauty, and Nature: The Philosophy of Organism and the Metaphysical Foundations of Environmental Ethics (SUNY in Environmental Philosophy and Ethics)

With the increase of natural disasters, droughts, and superstorms, it's clear that climate change isn't coming--it's here. The ecological crisis of climate change--and how we handle it--is the challenge of this century. Though policy changes or technological advances may help, they're not enough. We are in need of new ways of thinking and acting; new ways of understanding our relationship to the world. Riders in the Storm assesses the challenges of climate change through an interdisciplinary study, examining the basic scientific, political, economic, and moral dimensions through a framework of philosophical ethics. Equipped with colorful graphics and images, suggestions for further research and reading, and dialogue prompts, this text is a straightforward and engaging introduction to climate change.

Riders in the Storm: Ethics in an Age of Climate Change

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Books by Henning, Brian G.