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Philosophy of Biology

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Natural Selection

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Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. It's significant because it's a key mechanism of evolution, explaining how species change over time and adapt to their environments.

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Environmental Stewardship

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Environmental stewardship is the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices. It holds significance in biology due to its role in preserving ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity.

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Vitalism

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Vitalism is the belief that living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living entities because they contain some non-physical element or are governed by different principles than inanimate things. It's significant as it has historically influenced the understanding of life and has been largely discredited by advances in molecular biology.

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Darwinism vs. Lamarckism

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Darwinism and Lamarckism are two historical theories of how evolution occurs. Darwinism, based on natural selection, is the recognized mechanism. In contrast, Lamarckism involved the inheritance of acquired traits, which has been largely discredited but remains significant in understanding the history and development of evolutionary theory.

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Extinction Ethics

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The ethics of extinction concerns the moral considerations surrounding the disappearance of species. In biology, it has significance due to the impact of human activity on ecosystems and the moral responsibility to prevent species loss.

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Phenotype vs. Genotype

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The phenotype is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism, while the genotype is the set of genes in its DNA responsible for a particular trait. This distinction is significant in biology as it helps understand the relationship between genetics and the resulting physical expression.

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Intellectual Property in Biology

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Intellectual property in biology refers to the rights to the discoveries and inventions in biological research. This is significant in the context of patent laws, access to genetic resources, and sharing the benefits of biological discoveries.

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Ethics in Genetic Modification

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The debate over the ethics in genetic modification revolves around the implications of modifying the genetic material of organisms. It is significant in biology due to concerns over safety, consent, ecological impact, and the potential for creating inequality.

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Emergent Properties

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Emergent properties are features that arise from the interactions of system components that cannot be predicted from the properties of the individual components. This concept is significant in biology as it is essential in understanding complex systems such as the brain, ecosystems, or cellular processes.

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Falsifiability in Biological Theories

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Falsifiability is the principle that a scientific theory should be able to be tested and potentially proven false. This is significant in biology because it is a criterion for determining the scientific validity of theories and hypotheses in the field.

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What is Life?

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The philosophical question of 'What is Life?' explores the definition and essence of life. This is significant in biology since it affects how we approach the study of living systems, origins of life research, and the search for life beyond Earth.

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Research Ethics in Biology

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Research ethics in biology involves the responsible conduct of research, including the treatment of human and animal subjects, data integrity, and collaborative work. It's significant as it ensures the credibility, reproducibility, and ethical standards of biological research.

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Species Problem

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The Species Problem is the difficulty in defining what constitutes a species. This is significant to biology because the way species are defined has ramifications for conservation, understanding evolution, and interpreting biodiversity.

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Underdetermination in Science

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Underdetermination is the idea that evidence alone cannot determine the choice between competing theories. In biology, the principle is significant because multiple theoretical frameworks can often explain the same biological phenomena.

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Ecofeminism

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Ecofeminism is a philosophical perspective that links the exploitation of nature with the oppression of women, advocating for an environmental ethics that values both. It's significant as it encourages intersectional approaches to studying biology, ecology, and gender.

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Reductionism vs. Holism

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Reductionism is the approach of understanding complex phenomena by breaking them down into their simpler components. In contrast, holism emphasizes the importance of looking at the system as a whole. The debate is significant in biology as it pertains to whether biological phenomena should be studied at the level of genes, proteins, cells, or entire organisms and ecosystems.

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Teleology in Biology

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Teleology refers to the explanation of phenomena in terms of the purpose they serve rather than the cause by which they arise. In biology, it's significant because it challenges purely mechanistic explanations and argues for considering the functions and goals of biological systems.

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Scientific Realism vs. Anti-realism

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Scientific realism is the view that the universe described by science is real regardless of how it may be interpreted. Anti-realism refers to the belief that scientific theories do not necessarily reflect reality accurately. In biology, this debate is significant because it influences how researchers interpret data and theories about the natural world.

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Biocentrism

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Biocentrism is an ethical viewpoint that extends inherent value to all living beings regardless of their utility to humans. It is significant in biology for its implications on conservation efforts, animal rights, and ecosystem management.

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Intrinsic vs. Instrumental Value of Nature

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This debate revolves around whether nature has value in and of itself (intrinsic) or due to its usefulness to humans (instrumental). It's significant in biology for conservation policy, ecosystem management, and how humanity views its relationship with the natural world.

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