The Nature of Life
Classical and Contemporary Perspectives from Philosophy and Science
Mark A Bedau author Carol E Cleland author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Cambridge University Press
Published:30th Sep '10
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
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- Paperback£41.99(9781108722063)
Introduces a broad range of scientific and philosophical issues about life through the original historical and contemporary sources.
Introduces a wide range of scientific and philosophical issues about life for an interdisciplinary audience of scientists and philosophers. It traces the historical background of contemporary philosophical and scientific thought through original sources considering the origin, extent and definition of life as well as the creation of artificial life.Bringing together the latest scientific advances and some of the most enduring subtle philosophical puzzles and problems, this book collects original historical and contemporary sources to explore the wide range of issues surrounding the nature of life. Selections ranging from Aristotle and Descartes to Sagan and Dawkins are organised around four broad themes covering classical discussions of life, the origins and extent of natural life, contemporary artificial life creations and the definition and meaning of 'life' in its most general form. Each section is preceded by an extensive introduction connecting the various ideas discussed in individual chapters and providing helpful background material for understanding them. With its interdisciplinary perspective, this fascinating collection is essential reading for scientists and philosophers interested in astrobiology, synthetic biology and the philosophy of life.
'Editing a book of this kind always entails a risk because the particular professional interests and idiosyncrasies of the editors will affect the choice of contributions. However, I believe that the multifarious and matching interests of the editors were instrumental in producing an up-to-date and complete collection that will help the student of biology and philosophy alike. The editors did an outstanding job at devising an anthology that will be useful as a teaching instrument in a variety of classes in a variety of different disciplines. A marvellous book.' Metapsychology Online Reviews
ISBN: 9780521517751
Dimensions: 253mm x 194mm x 24mm
Weight: 1100g
440 pages