Toward a New Philosophy of Biology

Observations of an Evolutionist

Ernst Mayr

    I. Philosophy

    Introduction

    1. Is Biology an Autonomous Science?

    2. Cause and Effect in Biology

    3. The Multiple Meanings of Teleological

    4. The Probability of Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life

    5. The Origins of Human Ethics

    II. Natural Selection

    Introduction

    6. An Analysis of the Concept of Natural Selection

    7. Philosophical Aspects of Natural Selection

    III. Adaptation

    Introduction

    8. Adaptation and Selection

    9. How To Carry Out the Adaptationist Program?

    IV. Darwin

    Introduction

    10. Darwin, Intellectual Revolutionary

    11. The Challenge of Darwinism

    12. What Is Darwinism

    13. Darwin and Natural Selection

    14. The Concept of Finality in Darwin and alter Darwin

    15. The Death of Darwin

    V. Diversity

    Introduction

    16. Toward a Synthesis in Biological Classification

    17. Museums and Biological Laboratories

    18. Problems in the Classification of Birds

    VI. Species

    Introduction

    19. The Species Category

    20. The Ontology of the Species Taxon

    VII. Speciation

    Introduction

    21. Processes of Speciation in Animals

    22. Evolution of Fish Species Flocks

    VIII. Macro Evolution

    Introduction

    23. Does Microevolution Explain Macroevolution?

    24. The Unity of the Genotype

    25. Speciation and Macroevolution

    26. Speciational Evolution through Punctuated Equilibria

    IX. Historical Perspective

    Introduction

    27. On Weismann's Growth as an Evolutionist

    28. On the Evolutionary Synthesis and After

    Index

  • Cover: Toward a New Philosophy of Biology
  • A photo of the author

Ernst Mayr is Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology, Emeritus, at Harvard University. He is also the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the Crafoord Prize for Biology, the National Medal of Science, the Balzan Prize, and the Japan Prize.