Norms of Nature: Naturalism and the Nature of Functions

by Paul Sheldon Davies

Book Overview

The components of living systems strike us as functional-as for the sake of certain ends--and as endowed with specific norms of performance. The mammalian eye, for example, has the function of perceiving and processing light, and possession of this property tempts us to claim that token eyes are supposed to perceive and process light. That is, we tend to evaluate the performance of token eyes against the norm described in the attributed functional...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0262541440
• ISBN13: 9780262541442
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: MIT Press (MA)
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher