Genetics and Philosophy An Introduction

In the past century, nearly all of the biological sciences have been directly affected by discoveries and developments in genetics, a fast-evolving subject with important theoretical dimensions. In this rich and accessible book, Paul Griffiths and Karola Stotz show how the concept of the gene has evolved and diversified across the many fields that make up modern biology. By examining the molecular biology of the 'environment', they situate genetics in the developmental biology of whole organisms, and reveal how the molecular biosciences have undermined the nature/nurture distinction. Their discussion gives full weight to the revolutionary impacts of molecular biology, while rejecting 'genocentrism' and 'reductionism', and brings the topic right up to date with the philosophical implications of the most recent developments in genetics. Their book will be invaluable for those studying the philosophy of biology, genetics and other life sciences.

1. Mendel's gene; 2. The physical gene; 3. The behavioural gene; 4. The reactive genome; 5. Outside the gene; 6. The informational gene; 7. The evolving gene.

Paul Griffiths is University Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Sydney. He is the author of What Emotions Really Are: The Problem of Psychological Categories (1997) and Sex and Death: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Biology (with K. Sterelny, 1999). He is the editor of Trees of Life: Essays in Philosophy of Biology (1992), Biology and Philosophy (2000) and Cycles of Contingency: Developmental Systems and Evolution (with S. Oyama and R. D. Gray, 2001).
Karola Stotz is an Australian Research Fellow at the University of Sydney in the project 'Postgenomic Perspectives on Human Nature'. She is the editor of Genes, Genomes and Genetic Elements (2004), Reconciling Nature and Nurture in the Study of Behavior and Cognition Research (with C. Allen, 2008) and Philosophy in the Trenches: From Naturalized Philosophy to Experimental Philosophy (of Science) (2009).