Martin Huncovsky - University College London (original) (raw)
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This work explores the issues of biodiversity loss on two levels. On one level, it examines the i... more This work explores the issues of biodiversity loss on two levels. On one level, it examines the internal environment of science. When scientists from different disciplines assess the extent of biodiversity crisis, their personal values, professional attachments and philosophical stances are responsible for the multiple research outcomes. This chaos of competing conversations would leave politicians in an uneasy role of having contradictory scientific advice. Yet, this is not the case. Although many scientists recognise a high degree of uncertainty associated with predicting global extinction risks, one fraction of the scientific community is more successful in pushing through its research at the expense of others. Thus, the second level of the thesis analyses the interface between science and policy-making.
I have, however, claimed that this is not to say that if there were no Vesalius and his Fabrica, ... more I have, however, claimed that this is not to say that if there were no Vesalius and his Fabrica, the revolution in anatomy would have not happened.
Although the development of scientific ecology is an early twentieth-century phenomenon (Hagen, 1... more Although the development of scientific ecology is an early twentieth-century phenomenon (Hagen, 1986, p. 198), it surpassed many long-established disciplines and became a subject of universal interest. Ecology was formed as a result of natural history merging together with physiology at the turn of the century (Jax, 2011, p. 1). Despite humble beginnings, it has now been frequently appearing in daily language and newspaper articles, while also changing the language of politics and philosophy. Many political groups identify themselves as "ecology parties" in countries ranging from Mexico (Ecologist Green Party), Britain (Green Party) all the way to Russia (Ecological Party) and Japan (Greens Japan). Similarly, philosophical movements called "Deep Ecology" have been gaining influence all over the world. Yet, as Worster (1990, p. 1) adds, nobody proposed naming a political party after advanced palaeontology; neither we have a philosophical movement termed "Deep Polish Literature." Given that ecology has gained so much attention, I would like to explore its formative years, with special focus to F. Clements (1874-1945), American plant ecologist, who liberated the discipline from amateurish natural history (Hagen, 1986, p. 200), wrote one of first textbooks of ecology (Masutti, 2006, p. 28), and later provided first unified theory of the discipline, incorporating both animals and plants (Jax, 2011, p. 6).
The quest to look for origins of things seems to be encoded in human nature. This endeavour might... more The quest to look for origins of things seems to be encoded in human nature. This endeavour might range from attempts trying to answer broad questions, such as where does life come from, to efforts aimed at resolving more narrow inquiries such as identifying first mechanical philosophers or uncovering founders of modern chemistry. Nevertheless, as Perrin (1988, p. 53) observes, along the way of our investigation, we sometimes get beguiled with "paradoxical interpretations." The Bible is no longer the sole explanation for origins of life, Newton "-once a paragon of scientific rationality -has been revealed as a closet magician; [...] Nor has the development of chemistry in the late eighteenth century escaped paradoxical restatement." What was then almost universally agreed as a revolutionary change between pre-Lavoisier and after-Lavoisier new science of chemistry, which was putting alchemy, Aristotelian elements, Lavoisier"s endeavour represented in the theory of combustion. As Hankins correctly observes this time, "the conceptual foundation of the Chemical Revolution was not just this theory but the whole theory of the gaseous or vaporous state." And in this a wide multitude of savants took part, not only M. et Mme.
This work explores the issues of biodiversity loss on two levels. On one level, it examines the i... more This work explores the issues of biodiversity loss on two levels. On one level, it examines the internal environment of science. When scientists from different disciplines assess the extent of biodiversity crisis, their personal values, professional attachments and philosophical stances are responsible for the multiple research outcomes. This chaos of competing conversations would leave politicians in an uneasy role of having contradictory scientific advice. Yet, this is not the case. Although many scientists recognise a high degree of uncertainty associated with predicting global extinction risks, one fraction of the scientific community is more successful in pushing through its research at the expense of others. Thus, the second level of the thesis analyses the interface between science and policy-making.
I have, however, claimed that this is not to say that if there were no Vesalius and his Fabrica, ... more I have, however, claimed that this is not to say that if there were no Vesalius and his Fabrica, the revolution in anatomy would have not happened.
Although the development of scientific ecology is an early twentieth-century phenomenon (Hagen, 1... more Although the development of scientific ecology is an early twentieth-century phenomenon (Hagen, 1986, p. 198), it surpassed many long-established disciplines and became a subject of universal interest. Ecology was formed as a result of natural history merging together with physiology at the turn of the century (Jax, 2011, p. 1). Despite humble beginnings, it has now been frequently appearing in daily language and newspaper articles, while also changing the language of politics and philosophy. Many political groups identify themselves as "ecology parties" in countries ranging from Mexico (Ecologist Green Party), Britain (Green Party) all the way to Russia (Ecological Party) and Japan (Greens Japan). Similarly, philosophical movements called "Deep Ecology" have been gaining influence all over the world. Yet, as Worster (1990, p. 1) adds, nobody proposed naming a political party after advanced palaeontology; neither we have a philosophical movement termed "Deep Polish Literature." Given that ecology has gained so much attention, I would like to explore its formative years, with special focus to F. Clements (1874-1945), American plant ecologist, who liberated the discipline from amateurish natural history (Hagen, 1986, p. 200), wrote one of first textbooks of ecology (Masutti, 2006, p. 28), and later provided first unified theory of the discipline, incorporating both animals and plants (Jax, 2011, p. 6).
The quest to look for origins of things seems to be encoded in human nature. This endeavour might... more The quest to look for origins of things seems to be encoded in human nature. This endeavour might range from attempts trying to answer broad questions, such as where does life come from, to efforts aimed at resolving more narrow inquiries such as identifying first mechanical philosophers or uncovering founders of modern chemistry. Nevertheless, as Perrin (1988, p. 53) observes, along the way of our investigation, we sometimes get beguiled with "paradoxical interpretations." The Bible is no longer the sole explanation for origins of life, Newton "-once a paragon of scientific rationality -has been revealed as a closet magician; [...] Nor has the development of chemistry in the late eighteenth century escaped paradoxical restatement." What was then almost universally agreed as a revolutionary change between pre-Lavoisier and after-Lavoisier new science of chemistry, which was putting alchemy, Aristotelian elements, Lavoisier"s endeavour represented in the theory of combustion. As Hankins correctly observes this time, "the conceptual foundation of the Chemical Revolution was not just this theory but the whole theory of the gaseous or vaporous state." And in this a wide multitude of savants took part, not only M. et Mme.