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Introduction

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Functions: selection and mechanisms

Part of the book series: Synthese Library ((SYLI,volume 363))

Abstract

This introduction presents general issues about functions and functional explanations, and the frameworks within which they had been handled by philosophers since four decades. It sketches the current state of the art, indicates areas in biology, cognitive science, philosophy of science and metaphysics, that call for further investigations about these topics, therefore explaining the project of this volume. It ends by describing the general articulation of the book and providing an overview of the contributions that the reader will find here.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    One can check out the table of function views by Polger (2004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IHPST (CNRS/Université Paris I Sorbonne), Paris, France

    Philippe Huneman

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  1. Philippe Huneman
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Correspondence to Philippe Huneman .

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  1. IHPST (CNRS/Université Paris I Sorbonne), Paris, France

    Philippe Huneman

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Huneman, P. (2013). Introduction. In: Huneman, P. (eds) Functions: selection and mechanisms. Synthese Library, vol 363. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5304-4_1

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