What is science? -- Culture, technology and knowledge -- Classical roots -- Mediaeval views of the world -- The scientific revolution -- The 'scientific revolution' in biology -- Aristotle's biology -- How different are organisms from inanimate objects? -- Cell theory and experimental physiology : new ideas in a changing society -- Embryos and entelechy -- Spontaneous generation -- The evolution of Darwinism -- The great heredity debate -- Evolutionary theory attains maturity -- The problem of purpose -- The scientific status of biology
Summary
Surveys the nature of science and its emergence in post-Renaissance Europe. This book investigates the similarities and differences between biology and other sciences. It considers topics in the philosophy of biology (for example evolutionary theory, vitalism/mechanism, reductionism/holism, and spontaneous generation)
