Philosophy of Biological Functions

The function of eyespots on butterfly wings is to deflect attack away from vital organs. The cell membrane’s function is to regulate the materials that pass in and out of the cell. However, biologists sometimes disagree about functions, such as the function of the giraffe’s long neck or the zebra’s stripes.

This outstanding volume, written by an international roster of expert contributors, examines the question of biological functions from a philosophical standpoint. It introduces readers to newer theories of function, as well as novel formulations of traditional views; critically examines the contours of function talk in specific biological specializations such as molecular biology, ecology, psychiatry, biomedicine, and neuroscience; and provides an overview of the way philosophers use function concepts outside of philosophy of biology, such as conceptual engineering, mental representation, ethics, and epistemology.

Philosophy of Biological Functions will be of particular interest to students and researchers in philosophy of science, especially philosophy of biology, and those interested in conceptual questions in the biological sciences and philosophy of psychology.