Conditions for a theoretical biology: is biology truly an autonomous science?
Morchio, R.
Rivista di Biologia 95(1): 149-157
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-6050 PMID: 12109267 Document Number: 549982
In a line of a previous paper, the conditions for a theoretical biology were discussed and it was pointed out that the primary condition is that biology is an autonomous science. This statement is connected to the problem of reductionism. A discussion of the autonomy of biology shows that reductionism cannot be maintained, although particularly in physiology often physics and mathematics are used. Development, organization and evolution of biological systems are typical areas of autonomous biological researches and of autonomous theoretical developments. A sort of reduction to history seems today a nonsensical attempt to reduce the area of free theoretical biological activity.