Philosophy of Behavioral Biology (Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science)

From the reviews:

“It is a worthy read for anyone working in the field, as a reminder of the diversity of what goes on in philosophy of biology. … It is good for philosophy students to encounter still-in-development versions of philosophical projects in order to gain a sense of how philosophical projects develop. … represents a worthy contribution to the field and would make a reasonable choice, in terms of content and presentation, for a text for a graduate seminar or upper level undergraduate course … .” (Michael Trestman, Metascience, October, 2012)

This volume provides a broad overview of issues in the philosophy of behavioral biology, covering four main themes: genetic, developmental, evolutionary, and neurobiological explanations of behavior. It is both interdisciplinary and empirically informed in its approach, addressing philosophical issues that arise from recent scientific findings in biological research on human and non-human animal behavior. Accordingly, it includes papers by professional philosophers and philosophers of science, as well as practicing scientists. Much of the work in this volume builds on presentations given at the international conference, “Biological Explanations of Behavior: Philosophical Perspectives”, held in 2008 at the Leibniz Universität Hannover in Germany. The volume is intended to be of interest to a broad range of audiences, which includes philosophers (e.g., philosophers of mind, philosophers of biology, and metaethicists), as well as practicing scientists, such as biologists or psychologists whose interests relate to biological explanations of behavior.