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The ‘Reduction by Synthesis’ of Biology to Physical Chemistry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2022

Monique H. Levy
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Extract

The problem of the reduction of biology to physical chemistry has raised numerous controversies for several years. The reader is referred to Ayala & Dobzhansky (1974), Hull (1972, 1973, 1974, 1976), Polanyi (1967, 1968), Roll-Hansen (1969, 1974), Ruse (1971, 1976), and Schaffner (1967, 1969, 1974, 1976). Supporters and opponents of reduction are continually exchanging arguments and it is almost impossible, even for an objective reader, to discern who is correct.

The partisans of reduction insist that physical chemistry, contributes a very useful explanatory schema for the understanding of a certain number of biological processes. For instance, in genetics, great progress has been realized because of the contribution made by chemistry in the determination of the genetic code and in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing the laws of heredity.

Type
Part VI. Reduction in Biology and Psychology
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1980 , Issue 1: Volume One: Contributed Papers 1980 , 1980 , pp. 150 - 159
Copyright
Copyright © 1980 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

1

I wish to thank Professor Jean Ladriere of the University of Louvain for helpful comments on materials presented in this paper. Thanks also to Sister Fay Trombley for the correction of the English version of this text.

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