Thagard / Woods / Brown Philosophy of Ecology

1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-0-08-093075-6
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band Volume 11, 444 Seiten

Reihe: Handbook of the Philosophy of Science

The most pressing problems facing humanity today - over-population, energy shortages, climate change, soil erosion, species extinctions, the risk of epidemic disease, the threat of warfare that could destroy all the hard-won gains of civilization, and even the recent fibrillations of the stock market - are all ecological or have a large ecological component. in this volume philosophers turn their attention to understanding the science of ecology and its huge implications for the human project. To get the application of ecology to policy or other practical concerns right, humanity needs a clear and disinterested philosophical understanding of ecology which can help identify the practical lessons of science. Conversely, the urgent practical demands humanity faces today cannot help but direct scientific and philosophical investigation toward the basis of those ecological challenges that threaten human survival. This book will help to fuel the timely renaissance of interest in philosophy of ecology that is now occurring in the philosophical profession. - Provides a bridge between philosophy and current scientific findings - Covers theory and applications - Encourages multi-disciplinary dialogue

Autoren/Hrsg.

Thagard, Paul

Woods, John

Brown, Bryson

Peacock, Kent

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Front Cover;1
2;Philosophy of Ecology;4
3;Copyright Page;5
4;GeneralPreface;6
5;Preface;8
6;Contributors;10
7;Contents;12
8;Introduction;14
8.1;Philosophy of Ecology Today;16
8.1.1;Introduction;16
8.1.2;Part 1: Philosophical Issues in the History and Science of Ecology;16
8.1.3;Part 2: Philosophical Issues in Applied Ecology and Conservation Science;30
9;Part 1: Philosophical Issues in the History and Science ofEcology;36
9.1;Origins and Development of Ecology;38
9.1.1;Introduction;38
9.1.2;1 What were the Novel Abductions or Hypotheses that Set Ecology Apart?;40
9.1.3;2 What were the Origins or Inspirations of these Defining Hypotheses?;49
9.1.4;3 How much have these Initial Hypotheses Affected the Subsequent Development of Ecology?;51
9.1.5;4 Who exactly Constituted the Community of Pioneer Ecologists?;52
9.1.6;5 How much Convergence Towards a Consistent set of Hypotheses has Occurred?;54
9.1.7;6 Summary and Conclusions;57
9.1.8;Bibliography;58
9.2;The Legend of Order and Chaos: Communities and Early Community Ecology;62
9.2.1;1 Clements, Gleason, and Preservability;64
9.2.2;2 The Prospect of Scientific Ecology;69
9.2.3;3 Order and Chaos;73
9.2.4;4 Clements's and Gleason's Ontologies;81
9.2.5;5 Polarizing Narratives;96
9.2.6;6 Multiple Communities;108
9.2.7;7 Conclusion;115
9.2.8;Acknowledgements;116
9.2.9;Bibliography;117
9.3;Philosophical Themes in the Work of Robert H. Macarthur;122
9.3.1;1 Introduction;122
9.3.2;2 A Biographical Sketch and Sketch of Macarthur's Research Program;122
9.3.3;3 A Tale of Two Models;124
9.3.4;4 Did Macarthur Unify Population Biology?;134
9.3.5;5 Conclusion;139
9.3.6;Bibliography;140
9.4;Embodied Realism and Invasive Species;142
9.4.1;1 Introduction;142
9.4.2;2 The Image Schemata of Invasion Biology;148
9.4.3;3 Discussion;153
9.4.4;Acknowledgements;156
9.4.5;Bibliography;156
9.5;A Case Study in Concept Determination: Ecological Diversity;160
9.5.1;1 Introduction;160
9.5.2;2 Adequacy Criteria for the Concept of Ecological Diversity;161
9.5.3;3 Simpson's Index;170
9.5.4;4 Shannon's Index;172
9.5.5;5 The Role of the Diversity Concept within Ecology;175
9.5.6;Acknowledgements;179
9.5.7;Bibliography;179
9.6;The Biodiversity–ecosystem Function Debate in Ecology;182
9.6.1;1 Introduction;182
9.6.2;2 Background: The Diversity-Stability Debate;183
9.6.3;3 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functions: Key Concepts;189
9.6.4;4 The Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function Debate;201
9.6.5;5 Conclusion;210
9.6.6;Bibliography;210
9.7;A Dynamical Approach to Ecosystem Identity;214
9.7.1;Introduction;214
9.7.2;1 The Practical Significance of Ecosystem Individuation;215
9.7.3;2 Identity and Individuation of Dynamical Systems;216
9.7.4;3 Ecosystem Individuation and Change;220
9.7.5;4 Ecosystem Meta-Models;224
9.7.6;5 Conclusion;229
9.7.7;Acknowledgements;229
9.7.8;Bibliography;230
9.8;Symbiosis in Ecology and Evolution;232
9.8.1;1 Symbiosis—TheNeglected Link Between Ecology and Evolution;232
9.8.2;2 History of the Concept;233
9.8.3;3 What, Precisely, Is Symbiosis?;236
9.8.4;4 Symbiosis and Evolution;242
9.8.5;5 Symbiosis and Cancer;254
9.8.6;6 Symbiosis and Human Ecology;257
9.8.7;Acknowledgements;260
9.8.8;Bibliography;261
9.9;Ecology as Historical Science;264
9.9.1;1 History in Science and Historical Sciences;264
9.9.2;2 Status and Authority among the Sciences;267
9.9.3;3 Aims of Explanation;274
9.9.4;4 The Role of Prediction;276
9.9.5;5 A Case in Point;277
9.9.6;6 Reduction and Supervenience;279
9.9.7;7 Models and Evidence;282
9.9.8;8 The Standing of Ecological Models;284
9.9.9;9 Epistemic Remarks;289
9.9.10;10 Conclusion: Ecology as a Historical Science;292
9.9.11;Bibliography;294
10;Part 2: Philosophical Issues in Applied Ecology and Conservation Science;296
10.1;Environmental Ethics and Decision Theory: Fellow Travellers or Bitter Enemies?;298
10.1.1;1 Introduction;298
10.1.2;2 The Case for Triage and Carbon Trading;300
10.1.3;3 Some Arguments Against Triage and Carbon Trading;302
10.1.4;4 A Decision-Theoretic Case Against Triage and Carbon Trading;307
10.1.5;5 Concluding Remarks;310
10.1.6;Acknowledgements;311
10.1.7;Bibliography;311
10.2;Postmodern Ecological Restoration: Choosing Appropriate Temporal and Spatial Scales;314
10.2.1;Introduction: Classic Ecological Restoration;314
10.2.2;The Wilderness Myth and the Equilibrium-Ecology Myth;316
10.2.3;The Myth of Clementsian Equilibrium Ecology Debunked;318
10.2.4;The Colonial Wilderness Myth Debunked;320
10.2.5;Pleistocene Parks?;322
10.2.6;A Question of Scale;324
10.2.7;Temporal Scale and the Problem of Selecting a Reference System for Ecological Restoration;325
10.2.8;The Classic Norms of Ecological Restoration Scientifically Justified;328
10.2.9;A Scalar Distinction Between Pre- and Post-Industrial Human Disturbance;333
10.2.10;Is Ecological Restoration Hubristic?;334
10.2.11;Summary and Conclusion;335
10.2.12;Bibliography;336
10.3;Habitat Reconstruction: Moving Beyond Historical Fidelity;340
10.3.1;1 Introduction;340
10.3.2;2 The Balcones Canyonlands;343
10.3.3;3 Defining Ecological Restoration;346
10.3.4;4 Doubts About Integrity;351
10.3.5;5 Problems with Fidelity;354
10.3.6;6 Natural Values;360
10.3.7;7 The Reconstructionist Agenda;365
10.3.8;8 Conclusion;368
10.3.9;Acknowledgements;369
10.3.10;Bibliography;370
10.4;Modeling Sustainability in Economics and Ecology;376
10.4.1;1 Introduction: The Challenge;376
10.4.2;2 Accounting and Reversibility and Substitutability: Still Controversial;378
10.4.3;3 Scale Determination: The Greater Challenge Today;385
10.4.4;4 Reforming or Replacing Economics: What is Needed?;393
10.4.5;5 Reflexive Philosophy of Science: Models, Metaphors, and the Discernment of Social Values;400
10.4.6;6 Conclusion: Prospects for a Truly Ecological Approach to Sustainability;406
10.4.7;Bibliography;407
10.5;Diversity and the Good;412
10.5.1;1 Introduction;412
10.5.2;2 Species Richness and Biological Productivity;413
10.5.3;3 Economic Inequality and Biodiversity Loss;418
10.5.4;4 The Intrinsic Value of Diversity and Equality;422
10.5.5;5 Other Potential Applications;424
10.5.6;6 Conclusion;425
10.5.7;Acknowledgements;425
10.5.8;Bibliography;426
11;Index;430