How Biology Shapes Philosophy

A collection of original essays by major thinkers, addressing how the biological sciences inform and inspire philosophical research.

How Biology Shapes Philosophy is a unique collection of essays by leading thinkers showing how biology illuminates philosophy and helps us acquire a deeper understanding of the human condition. Both rigorous and highly accessible, it will be of interest to philosophers, biologists and social scientists, as well as non-academics.How Biology Shapes Philosophy is a seminal contribution to the emerging field of biophilosophy. It brings together work by philosophers who draw on biology to address traditional and not so traditional philosophical questions and concerns. Thirteen essays by leading figures in the field explore the biological dimensions of ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, gender, semantics, rationality, representation, and consciousness, as well as the misappropriation of biology by philosophers, allowing the reader to critically interrogate the relevance of biology for philosophy. Both rigorous and accessible, the essays illuminate philosophy and help us to acquire a deeper understanding of the human condition. This volume will be of interest to philosophers, biologists, social scientists, and other readers with an interest in bringing science and the humanities together.