The Origin of Individuals (Record no. 294734)

MARC details
000 -LEADER
fixed length control field 02504nam a2200157Ia 4500
020 ## - INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BOOK NUMBER
International Standard Book Number 9789812704993
082 ## - DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION NUMBER
Classification number 571.8 KUP-O .PS(LS)
100 ## - MAIN ENTRY--PERSONAL NAME
Personal name Jean-jacques Kupiec
245 ## - TITLE STATEMENT
Title The Origin of Individuals
260 ## - PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC.
Place of publication, distribution, etc. New Jersey
Name of publisher, distributor, etc. World Scientific
Date of publication, distribution, etc. 2009
300 ## - PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Extent xix, 253 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
505 ## - FORMATTED CONTENTS NOTE
Formatted contents note Five arguments for a new theory of biological individuation -- What is a probabilistic process? -- The determinism of molecular biology -- The contradiction in genetic determinism -- Self-organisation does not resolve the contradiction in genetic determinism -- Hetero-organisation -- Biology's blind spot -- A research programme and ethical principle based on ontophylogenesis.
520 ## - SUMMARY, ETC.
Summary, etc. In the 17th century, Descartes put forth the metaphor of the machine to explain the functioning of living beings. In the 18th century, La Mettrie extended the metaphor to man. The clock was then used as the paradigm of the machine. In the 20th century, this metaphor still held but the clock was replaced by a computer. Nowadays, the organism is viewed as a robot obeying signals emanating from a computer program controlled by genetic information. This book shows that such a conception leads to contradictions not only in the theory of biology but also in its experimental research program, thereby impeding its development. The analysis of this problem is based on the most recent experimental data obtained in molecular biology as well as the history and philosophy of biology. It shows that the machine theory did not succeed in breaking with Aristotle s finalism. The book presents a new approach to biological systems based on cellular Darwinism. Genes are ruled by probabilistic mechanisms allowing cells to differentiate stochastically. Embryo development is not governed by a determinist genetic program but by natural selection occurring among cell populations inside the organism. This theory has considerable philosophical consequences. Man may be a machine but he is a random one. Contents: Five Arguments for a New Theory of Biological Individuation; What is a Probabilistic Process?; The Determinism of Molecular Biology; The Contradiction in Genetic Determinism; Self-Organisation Does Not Resolve the Contradiction in Genetic Determinism; Hetero-Organisation; Biology s Blind Spot; A Research Programme and Ethical Principle Based on Ontophylogenesis
650 ## - SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY--TOPICAL TERM
Topical term or geographic name entry element Developmental genetics. Biodiversity. Molecular evolution.
942 ## - ADDED ENTRY ELEMENTS (KOHA)
Koha item type Book
Holdings
Withdrawn status Lost status Damaged status Not for loan Home library Current library Shelving location Date acquired Total Checkouts Full call number Barcode Date last seen Price effective from Koha item type
        Dept. of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Dept. of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Processing Center 01/09/2015   571.8 KUP-O .PS(LS) DCB1372 01/09/2015 19/07/2019 Book