Suchergebnisse

A review essay on a book by Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life. The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History (New York: W. W. Norton & Co, 1989) [see listing in IRPS No. 70]). Gould's book provides a reconstruction of evolutionary theory that parallels recent developments in postmodernism. By postulating radical contingency as a feature of his theory of punctuated equilibria, Gould encounters many of the problems generated by postmodernity's vindication of a radical relativism against the universalism of modernity. Gould's book is criticized for its failure to present a convincing case for the contingent character of evolution, but is praised for offering an incisive & highly interesting debunking of gradualist & progressivist readings of conventional evolutionary theory. W. Howard

The decay of human bodies -- The discovery and recovery of human remains -- Molecular biology -- Blood -- Saliva, semen, vitreous humor, urine, and faeces -- Human tissues -- Wounds -- Invertebrates 1 : biological aspects -- Invertebrates 2 : practical aspects -- Vertebrates -- Wildlife forensics -- Protists, fungi and plants -- Microbes and viruses

"Economics and Biology" is a collection of key essays on the relationship between economics and biology. As the limitations of the mechanistic metaphor in economics are increasingly recognized, this volume explores the potential for the use of evolutionary and other ideas from the science of biology. Topics covered include evaluations of mechanistic and biological analogies in economics in the Darwinian revolution, the use of biology in Alfred Marshall's economics, the concepts of optimisation and rationality in an evolutionary context and the inspirations that biology may offer for modern economics.