The great philosopher and historian of philosophy, Etienne Gilson, sets out to show that final causality or purposiveness and formal causality are principles for those who think hard and carefully about the world, including the world of biology. Gilson insists that a completely rational understanding of organisms and biological systems requires the philosophical notion of teleology, the idea that certain kinds of things exist and have ends or purposes the fulfillment of which are linked to their natures-in other words, formal and final causes. His approach relies on philosophical reflection...

This scholarly and conscientious book makes an important . . . contribution to the study and interpretation of Buffon, and so, too, to the Enlightenment generally. What Lyon and Sloan have done is present English texts under four headings, so that we have successively: a selection from Buffon's writings prior to the first (1749) volumes of his Histoire naturelle; pieces from these first volumes of 1749; immediate responses by the earliest critics, writing about the 1749 texts, and finally Herault de Sechelles' essay on Buffon, Voyage a Montbard. Much of the material is in translations made by...

The dual purpose of this volume-to provide a distinctively philosophical introduction to logic, as well as a logic-oriented approach to philosophy-makes it a unique and worthwhile primary text for logic or philosophy courses.

In this book of Native American language research and oral traditions, linguist John Lyon collects Salish stories as told by culture-bearer Lottie Lindley, one of the last Okanagan elders whose formative years of language learning were unbroken by the colonizing influence of English. Lindley tells the stories that recount and reflect Salish culture, history, and historical consciousness.