Whence philosophy of biology?

A consensus exists among contemporary philosophers of biology about the history of their field. According to the received view, mainstream philosophy of science in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s focused on physics and general epistemology, neglecting analyses of the ‘special sciences’, including biology. The subdiscipline of philosophy of biology emerged (and could only have emerged) after the decline of logical positivism in the 1960s and 70s. In this paper, I present bibliometric data from four major philosophy of science journals (Erkenntnis, Philosophy of Science, Synthese, and the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science), covering 1930-1959, which challenge this view

17th Baltic conference on History of Science : Baltic science between the West and the East : Tartu, 4-6 October 1993

• Siilivask, К. Instead of Introduction: Baltic Science Between The West And The East • Stiadinš, J. Latvian science in exile and its reintegration into science in Latvia • Erikštopaitis, J. A. Universities of the Baltic states and coming westernization • Tapdanskas, A. The students-refugees from Lithuania at universities of Germany in 1945-1949 • Stiadinš, J., Cebere, Di. Contacts between the scientists of the Scandinavian countries and Latvia during the period of Latvian independence (1918-1940) • Eiikštopaitls, J. A. A pecuUarity of the Baltic civil resistance: its historical smd intellectual sources • Loone, E. Between West and East: the case of philosophy in Estonia • Frašmantaite, A. Vilnius University and Lithuanian society in the lst-3rd decades of the 19th century • Viiralt, M. The role of foreign «icademic centres in the foundation and formation of Estonian national university in Tartu in the years 1919-1929 • Tamal, S. Die Atmosphare des akademischen schwedischestnischen Vereins • Мнижевкчкус И. Спецнфика литовской архитектурной науки в условиях советской оккупации (1940-1990 гг) • Кжштымов А. Л. Белорусские студенческие зеылячества начала ХХвека в Тартуском университете • Исаков С. Профессор Тартуского университета А. Стевдер-Петерсен и научные связи Запада и Востока • Zalsters, А. Б. Die wikingeizeitlichen Schiffbauschulen und die Kontakte zwischen denen . • Masing, V. Ubei Faiadigmenwechsel in Natuiwissenschaften Eelsalu, H. Die Dotpatei Steinwaite ais astionomische Bincke zwischen Ost und West • Kongo, L. West- und Osteinfluss auf die natuiwissenschaftlichen Foischungsaibeiten in Estland • Müürsepp, P. Das Baer — Babinetsche Gesetz • Kalviecas, L. On the realisation of the fouith thesis of P. Bohl's doctoral dissertation • Bzinionis, J. Otto Volk (1892-1989) und die Mathematik an dei Univeisität Ton Vytautas dem GioSen • Makarinniene, E. The beginning of experimental spectroscopy in Lithuania • Maksiriüniene, Б., Makarianas, К. Nuclear physics in Lithuanian popular science publications in 1920-1940's • Gyliene, L. On the level of chemical science in the University of Vilnius in 1822-1833 • Лепайые, Я. Эстоши — перекресток Востока ж Запада по распространению достижений сельскохозяйственной науки • Клммка, Л. Точные науки в старинном Вильнюсском университете: школы и влияния • Шекавнчене, Е. Зарубежные научные поездки профессоров физики Вильнюсского университета в XIX в • Мартншюс, Й.-А. Вопросы астрономии, физики и математики на конференциях Балтийских государств по истории науки . • Мартншюс, Й.-А. Учеба, исследования, ссыпка и эмиграция литовских физиков на Востоке и на Западе • Saarma, J. The graduate of the University of Tartu doctor medicinae Wilhelm Sabler — a reformer of psychiatry in Russia in the first half of the 19th century • Domets, Т., Tähepõld, L. Gustav Bunge's contribution to the development of physiological and pathological chemistry • Roostar, L., Veiksaar, P., Mamute, M. Gründer der aseptik Ernst von Bergmann in Medizin des Ostens und des Westens • Mägi, М. Myoclonus epilepsy — a centniy after the first description of the disease by H. Unverticht in Tartu • Kogermann-Lepp, E. August Rauber's contribution to the investigations of the nervous system • Lindberga, R. Prof. Gaston Victor Backman und die schwedischlettischen Kontakte • Otter, M. Medical legislation in the Republic of Estonia in 1937 • Voswiackel, P. Die Hafflcrankheit 1924/1940 am ehem. Kõnigsberger Haff Gestern und Heute. Wirkungs- und Rezeptiongeschichte zwischen Ost und West • Otter, K. Professor Georg Kingisepp — the first Estonian-born head of the Department of Pharmacology of the University of Tartu • Fersters, V. Scientific missions abroad by Professor Alexander Biezins • Таnkler, H., Vahter, H. L. A. Struves Lehrbuch der Hautkrankheiten vom Jahr 1829 • Анже, M., Балтыньш, M., Внксна, A. Заведующие кафедрами медицинского факультета Латвийского университета во время второй мировой войны • Тиганик, В. Тартуский университет как мост между наукой Востока и Запада. На примере деятельности профессора физиологической химии университетов Тарту, Томска и Ростока Фрвдриха Карла фон Крюгера • Мжлтжньш, А. П. Влияние Востока и Запада на развитие дерматовенерологии Латвии • Авдрюшнс, А. Влияние европейской медицины на практическую деятельность вильнюсских врачей в XIX вехе • Шимкунаите, Е. Внешние влияния на литовскую народную медицину • Калнин, В., Сюдикас, В., Виксна, А. О сотрудничестве медиков Эстонии, Латвии и Ливы в 1920-1940 гг. • Васильев, К.К. Медицинская династия Дитерихсов • Васильев, К. Г., Васильев, К. К. Роль воспитанников медицинского факультета и Профессорского института Дерптского (Тартуского) университета в формирования научно-медицинских центров Украины. • Якобсон, Ю. Ветеринарный врач и микробиолог Эйжен Земмер. • Лыви-Кальных. М.О. Влияние сцязей с Встоком и Западом на развитие стоматологии Тартуском университете. • Лоога, Р. Развитие физиологических наук в Прибалтийских республиках до и после второй мировой войны • Иентс, А. Вклад Пеэтера Хеллата и Хенрика Коппеля в развитие оториноларингологии в России и в Эстонииhttp://tartu.ester.ee/record=b1005647~S1*es

Phenomenology of Philosophy of Science: OPERA data

I observe that, as the physics side of the OPERA-anomaly story is apparently unfolding, there can still be motivation for philosophy of science to analyze the six months of madness physicists spent chasing the dream of a new fundamental-physics revolution. I here mainly report data on studies of the OPERA anomaly that could be relevant for analyses from the perspective of phenomenology of philosophy of science. Most of what I report is an insider's perspective on the debate that evolved from the original announcement by the OPERA collaboration of evidence of superluminal neutrinos. I also sketch out, from a broader perspective, some of the objectives I view as achievable for the phenomenology of philosophy of science.Comment: 13 pages, LaTe

H.P. Lovecraft’s Philosophy of Science Fiction Horror

The paper is an examination and critique of the philosophy of science fiction horror of seminal American horror, science fiction and fantasy writer H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937). Lovecraft never directly offers a philosophy of science fiction horror. However, at different points in his essays and letters, he addresses genres he labels “interplanetary fiction”, “horror”, “supernatural horror”, and “weird fiction”, the last being a broad heading covering both supernatural fiction and science fiction. Taken together, a philosophy of science fiction horror emerges. Central to this philosophy is the juxtaposition of the mysterious, unnatural and alien against a realistic background, in order to produce the emotion that Lovecraft calls “cosmic fear”. This background must not only be scientifically accurate, but must accurately portray human psychology, particularly when humans are faced with the weird and alien. It will be argued that Lovecraft’s prescriptions are overly restrictive and would rule out many legitimate works of science fiction horror art. However, he provides useful insights into the genre

Problems and Prospects of Interdisciplinarity: The Case of Philosophy of Science

In this paper, we discuss some problems and prospects of interdisciplinary encounters by focusing on philosophy of science as a case study. After introducing the case, we give an overview about the various ways in which philosophy of science can be interdisciplinary in Section 2. In Section 3, we name some general problems concerning the possible points of interaction between philosophy of science and the sciences studied. In Section 4 we compare the advantages and risks of interdisciplinarity for individual researchers and institutions. In Section 5, we discuss interdisciplinary PhD programs, in particular concerning two main problems: increased workload and the quality of supervision. In the final Section 6, we look at interdisciplinary careers beyond the PhD

Philosophy of Experimental Biology

Philosophers have committed sins while studying science, it is said – philosophy of science focused on physics to the detriment of biology, reconstructed idealizations of scientific episodes rather than attending to historical details, and focused on theories and concepts to the detriment of experiments. Recent generations of philosophers of science have tried to atone for these sins, and by the 1980s the exculpation was in full swing. Marcel Weber’s Philosophy of Experimental Biology is a zenith mea culpa for philosophy of science: it carefully describes several historical examples from twentieth century biology to address both ‘old’ philosophical topics, like reductionism, inference, and realism, and ‘new’ topics, like discovery, models, and norms. Biology, experiments, history – at last, philosophy of science, free of sin