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Philosopher

Ernst Mayr

Philosophy of Science

Ernst Mayr (1904-2005) was a zoologist and evolutionary biologist whose complaint that books titled 'philosophy of science' were really about physics helped spur philosophy of biology's emergence as its own field distinct from philosophy of physics.

Facts
Birth Year
1904 1
Defining Moment
In Systematics and the Origin of Species (1942), Mayr articulated the biological species concept, defining a species as a reproductively isolated interbreeding population rather than a group of merely similar-looking individuals. 1
Birth Date
1904-07-05 1
Notable Publication
Systematics and the Origin of Species (1942) 1
Death Date
2005-02-03 1
Birthplace
Kempten, Bavaria, German Empire 1
Death Place
Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S. 1
Tradition
Philosophy of biology, evolutionary biology; credited with founding modern philosophy of biology as distinct from physics-derived philosophy of science 1
Classification
Nationality
Germany 1
Connections

In Branch

Philosophy of Biology, Branches of Philosophy
Source Philosophy of Biology (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
In the Other Atlases
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Germany, originated there.
  • Also in History Atlas: Germany, nationality there.
  • Also in Science Atlas: Ernst Mayr, the same subject.
Sources
1. Ernst Mayr (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Infobox: Born (date)
    5 July 1904
  • Infobox: Died (date)
    3 February 2005
  • Infobox: Died (place)
    Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.
  • Publications list: Systematics and the Origin of Species
    Systematics and the Origin of Species
  • Lead section: species concept
    a species is not just a group of morphologically similar individuals, but a group that can breed only among themselves, excluding all others
  • Lead section: philosophy of biology
    Mayr is sometimes credited with inventing modern philosophy of biology, particularly the part related to evolutionary biology, which he distinguished from physics due to its introduction of (natural) history into science.
  • lead sentence, birth date
    5 July 1904 - 3 February 2005
  • Infobox: Born (place)
    Kempten, Bavaria, German Empire
View the Source
Philosophy of Biology (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
entry: Philosophy of Biology, Section 1
Quote, entry: Philosophy of Biology, Section 1
Even in 1969 the zoologist Ernst Mayr could complain that books with 'philosophy of science' in the title were all misleading and should be re-titled 'philosophy of physics'
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