Dear Friammers,
Often in FRIAM I have been called upon to defend philosophy as an important part of the scientific enterprise Recently, on research gate, somebody posed the following question: * Has the philosophical analysis contributed to solve any biological conceptual problems? Of course the first question would be how many conceptual/empirical problems, of philosophy's interest the biology has? How many of those problems has been solved? Just in case of any extremist response, what would you say to a biology scientists who thinks that the philosophy cannot solve anything? The discussion (such as it is) can be found at : https://www.researchgate.net/post/Has_the_philosophical_analysis_contributed _to_solve_any_biological_conceptual_problems#544a6a0ad685cc4d678b4654 It seemed only to confirm the questioner's fears that philosophers of science are neither the generals who set the battle nor the diplomats that make the peace, but are merely the scavengers that bicker over the spoils of war. . . N I think we can do better. See you next week. Nicholas S. Thompson Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology Clark University http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/
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