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The biological functions debate is a perennial topic in the philosophy of science. In the first full-length account of the nature and importance of biological functions for many years, Justin Garson presents an innovative new theory, the 'generalized selected effects theory of function', which seamlessly integrates evolutionary and developmental perspectives on biological functions. He develops the implications of the theory for contemporary debates in the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of medicine and psychiatry, the philosophy of biology, and biology itself, addressing issues ranging from the nature of mental representation to our understanding of the function of the human genome. Clear, jargon-free, and engagingly written, with accessible examples and explanatory diagrams to illustrate the discussion, his book will be highly valuable for readers across philosophical and scientific disciplines.

Biology --- Phenomenological biology. --- Biological phenomenology --- Phenomenology --- Vitalism --- Philosophy.

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The most important characteristic of the “world filled with nonlinearity” is the existence of scale interference: disparate space–time scales interfere with each other. Thus, the effects of unknowable scales invade the world that we can observe directly. This leads to various peculiar phenomena such as chaos, critical phenomena, and complex biological phenomena, among others. Conceptual analysis and phenomenology are the keys to describe and understand phenomena that are subject to scale interference, because precise description of unfamiliar phenomena requires precise concepts and their phenomenological description. The book starts with an illustration of conceptual analysis in terms of chaos and randomness, and goes on to explain renormalization group philosophy as an approach to phenomenology. Then, abduction is outlined as a way to express what we have understood about the world. The book concludes with discussions on how we can approach genuinely complex phenomena, including biological phenomena. The main target of this volume is young people who have just started to appreciate the world seriously. The author also wishes the book to be helpful to those who have been observing the world, but who wish to appreciate it afresh from a different angle.

Nonlinear theories. --- Phenomenological biology. --- Synergetics. --- Phenomenological biology --- Nonlinear theories --- Synergetics --- Biology --- Philosophy & Religion --- Physics --- Physical Sciences & Mathematics --- Health & Biological Sciences --- Biology - General --- Atomic Physics --- Philosophy --- Biological phenomenology --- Physics. --- Systems biology. --- Applied mathematics. --- Engineering mathematics. --- Statistical physics. --- Dynamical systems. --- Complexity, Computational. --- Vibration. --- Dynamics. --- Statistical Physics, Dynamical Systems and Complexity. --- Complexity. --- Systems Biology. --- Applications of Mathematics. --- Vibration, Dynamical Systems, Control. --- Phenomenology --- System theory --- Self-organizing systems --- Nonlinear problems --- Nonlinearity (Mathematics) --- Calculus --- Mathematical analysis --- Mathematical physics --- Engineering. --- Biological models. --- Mathematics. --- Complex Systems. --- Statistical Physics and Dynamical Systems. --- Mathematical statistics --- Cycles --- Mechanics --- Sound --- Math --- Science --- Models, Biological --- Construction --- Industrial arts --- Technology --- Statistical methods --- Computational complexity. --- Dynamical systems --- Kinetics --- Mathematics --- Mechanics, Analytic --- Force and energy --- Statics --- Engineering --- Engineering analysis --- Computational biology --- Bioinformatics --- Biological systems --- Molecular biology --- Complexity, Computational --- Electronic data processing --- Machine theory