This book revitalizes the relevance of the ideas of Henri Bergson (1859-1941) for current developments in exact sciences.  It explores the relevance of Bergson's thought for contemporary philosophical reflections on three of the most important scientific research areas of today, namely physics, the life sciences and the neurosciences. It does so on the basis of the three interrelated topics of time, life and memory. Henri Bergson (1859-1941) was one of the most widely read philosophers of his era. The European public was seeking for answers to questions of the soul and...

This book addresses the topic of 'being bound' from a philosophical and a sociological perspective. It examines several ways in which we are bound. We are bound to acknowledge the truth and to follow laws; we are bound to others and to the world. Who we are is partly defined by those bonds, regardless of whether we live up to them – or even of whether we acknowledge them. Puzzling questions arise from the fact that we are bound, such as: How are those bonds binding? Wherein lies their normative character? A venerable philosophical tradition, particularly since Kant, has provided...

This book explores the impact of ethical reasoning in forensic science and demonstrates that it is in fact a foundational skill required by those engaged in the field. Forensic science is viewed as a mechanism to aid the criminal justice system in finding truth, but failures within the field contribute to the growing injustice facing society. The author recognizes these failings and brings a new perspective by establishing bioethical principles as a foundation for improving ethical reasoning skills. These skills are a critical component of forensic science education for upcoming...

This book examines groundbreaking changes occurring within evolutionary theory, where the dominant gene-centered view that still occupies public imagination is being challenged by new perspectives. Under the banner of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, these changes have placed the organism and its agency back at the center of evolution, challenging long-held dogmas that seemed untouchable. By mapping these theoretical developments and examining their relationship with contemporary philosophical movements, this work builds toward a dialectical philosophy of nature, offering a systematic...

This book offers a step-by-step introduction to an integrated theory of physical and biological evolution, from the early universe to the world we know today. To this end, the well-known laws of variation and selection are supplemented by a third law. This law describes the increase in complexity based on the transitions from quarks to hadrons, to atoms, to molecules, to bacteria, to eukaryotic cells, and so on. These insights revolutionize existing theoretical frameworks for analyzing organization in nature, accelerating developments in natural philosophy. In this way, the author develops...

How to Think about Progress is an interdisciplinary work exploring whether optimistic claims about technology’s potential stand up to humanity’s most difficult challenges. Will technology solve the problems of climate change, pandemics, cancer, loneliness, unhappiness, and even death? The authors show that techno-hype is all too often accepted because of the horizon bias, i.e. the modern propensity to believe that any problem that can be solved with technology will be solved in the very near future. The authors situate their analysis in a broad context, drawing on...