Context And The Structure Of Biological Theories

The main idea of this thesis is to explore the structure of the biological theories which based on the theoretical contexts and construct a contextualist view for structure of biological theories. This view argues that contextualization process base on natural selection theory and basic conceptions which interrelated is the nature of biological theorization. The biological contexts are a series of epistemological dimensions which are the result of continuous spatial and temporal environment have been decomposed. Historic and empirical studies which reflected in biology have been integrated in this dimension and help us achieve understanding of the biological phenomena that we concern. This thesis also argues that the contextualist view for structure of biological theories would help to resolve the dilemma about reduction and positivism and provide a new methodological framework for biological philosophy.Thesis argues that contextual dependency of biological theories roots in use of conception of adaptation. First, Thesis clarified the concept of adaptation in1.1, include many issues on adaptationist explanation; A Further discussion on goal directness system which was introduced as a result of in use of adaptation has been taken in1.2; Section1.3focus on exploring the definition of biological function and the reasonableness of theories which established by conceptualization of function. I would propose a new approach beyond these approaches which already discussed.The second chapter discussed three model types which most representative in biology. The quantitative models of evolution which base on conception of group have been discussed in Section2.1; Models of Evolutionary game theory that developed in field of behavior have been discussed In Section2.2; In section2.3, we will discuss the models of biological mechanism from a microscopic, static, and qualitative perspective. Thesis tries to prove that these mechanisms represented in the biological theory are Epistemological tools which are self-evident and analysis in Depth about the ontological and metaphorical issues which these mechanisms involved. I argue that the best way to understanding these mechanisms is contextual analysis.Chapter3focuses on natural selection in multiple contexts. The topics of Natural selection are inevitable to researchers who engaged in theoretical research in Biology and Biological Philosophy. This filed full of the conceptual misleading and philosophical dispute. Section3.1clarified the mechanism of natural selection in accordance of the historical clues and analysis its meaning in different contexts. Discussion in this section mainly focus on the mechanism of the dynamic characteristics of natural selection and its expression; Section3.2explore the nature of natural selection in depth from a philosophical view, Including the reasoning process of this mechanism, this mechanism in the end is whether determinism or indeterminism, as well as the interpretation of mechanism of natural selection from perspective of biophysics; The controversy of realism and instrumentalism in evolutionary theories base on natural selection has been discussed in section3.3and I proposed, a middle ground to eliminate the controversy eventually.Chapter4focuses on the contextual problems of biological theories. Section4.1try to prove that Pluralism in biological theories is a result of Pluralism in theoretical context by discuss is there a basic semantic unit in biological theories; Section4.2attempts to find the reasons why the problem of reductionism in biology can not be resolved by introducing the contextual analysis; Section4.3attempts to discuss the possibility of unification of biological theories through contextualization base on information and developmental system.The fifth chapter is the core of the entire paper. This chapter explores the structural problems of biological theories through contextualism. Section5.1illustrates the contextual feature of biological theories; Section5.2demonstrates the partial nature of biological theories, as well as proves that natural selection is a universal reasoning mechanism in biological theories; Section5.3proposed a contextualist view for the structure of biological theories.The conclusion summarizes the article. This section illustrates the function of explanation and discovery of contextualist view for the structure of biological theories and attempts to defend this view from some possible methodological and epistemological challenges.