Preface. Libertarianism from the Philosophical Perspective

Abortion--a philosophical perspective.

The central issue in the abortion debate is the moral status of the conceptus. There are two positions that argue this issue. At one extreme are the views of the pro-life group which argues that human life begins at the moment of conception whilst at the other are views of the pro-choice group that argues in favour of a woman's right to self-determination. Two basic principles come into conflic...

Diversity: A Philosophical Perspective

In recent years, diversity, whether it be ecological, biological, cultural, or linguistic diversity, has emerged as a major cultural value. This paper analyzes whether a single concept of diversity can underwrite discussions of diversity in different disciplines. More importantly, it analyzes the normative justification for the endorsement of diversity as a goal in all contexts. It concludes th...

Functions in Biological and Artificial Worlds: Comparative Philosophical Perspectives (Preface)

The Neutral—Niche Debate: A Philosophical Perspective

Ecological communities around the world are under threat while a consensus theory of community structure remains elusive. In the last decade ecologists have struggled with two seemingly opposing theories: niche-based theory that explains diversity with species’ differences and the neutral theory of biodiversity that claims that much of the diversity we observe can be explained without explicitl...

The touch of telesurgery: A philosophical perspective