''The Growth of Biological Thought'' (992 pages,
Belknap Press, ) is a book written by
Ernst Mayr, first published in
1982. It is subtitled Diversity, Evolution, and Inheritance, and is as much a book of
philosophy and
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
as it is of biology.
It is a sweeping, academic study of the first 2,400 years of the
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
of
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
. It focuses largely on how the philosophical assumptions of biologists influenced and limited their understanding. It includes many important general observations about the role of philosophy in scientific inquiry and the place of biology amongst the sciences.
References
External links
''The Growth of Biological Thought''- Google Books
Books about the history of science
Biology books
History of biology
Philosophy of biology
1982 non-fiction books
1982 in biology
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