Towards a characterization of metaphysics of biology: metaphysics for and metaphysics in biology
In: Synthese: an international journal for epistemology, methodology and philosophy of science, Band 200, Heft 5
ISSN: 1573-0964
AbstractSince the last decades of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first century, the use of metaphysics by philosophers when approaching conceptual problems in biology has increased. Some philosophers call this tendency in philosophy of biology 'Metaphysics of Biology' (Guay and Pradeu in Synthese 1–20, 2017). In this paper, I aim at characterizing Metaphysics of Biology by paying attention to the diverse ways philosophers use metaphysics when addressing conceptual problems in biology. I will claim that there are two different modes of doing Metaphysics of Biology, namely MetaphysicsforBiology and MetaphysicsinBiology.