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Publications

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My books

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Are species worth saving? Can they be resurrected by technology? What is the use of species in biomedicine? These questions all depend on a clear definition of the concept of 'species', yet biologists have long struggled to define this term. In this accessible book, John S. Wilkins provides an introduction to the concept of 'species' in biology, philosophy, ethics, policymaking and conservation. Using clear language and easy-to-understand examples throughout, the book provides a history of species and why we use them. It encourages readers to appreciate the philosophical depth of the concept as well as its connections to logic and science. For any interested reader, this short text highlights the complexities of a single idea in biology, the problems with the concept of 'species' and the benefits of it in helping us to answer the bigger questions and understand our living world.

Due May 2023

Blurb: Are species worth saving? Can they be resurrected by technology? What is the use of species in biomedicine? These questions all depend on a clear definition of the concept of ‘species’, yet biologists have long struggled to define this term. In this accessible book, John S. Wilkins provides an introduction to the concept of ‘species’ in biology, philosophy, ethics, policymaking and conservation. Using clear language and easy-to-understand examples throughout, the book provides a history of species and why we use them. It encourages readers to appreciate the philosophical depth of the concept as well as its connections to logic and science. For any interested reader, this short text highlights the complexities of a single idea in biology, the problems with the concept of ‘species’ and the benefits of it in helping us to answer the bigger questions and understand our living world.

The audience is for non-philosophers and non-specialists, but I hope it will stimulate specialists as well. This one is affordable.

Published 2022

Blurb: Species, or ‘the Species Problem’, is a topic in science, in the philosophy of science, and in general philosophy. In fact, it encompasses many aspects of the same problem, and these are dealt with in this volume. Species are often thought of as fundamental units of biological matter to be used in ecology, conservation, classification, and biodiversity. The chapters in this book present opposing views on the current philosophical and conceptual issues of the Species Problem in biology.

Divided into four sections, Concepts and TheoriesPractice and MethodsRanks and Trees and Names, and Metaphysics and Epistemologies, the book is authored by biologists, philosophers, and historians, many leaders in their fields. Topics include ontology of species, definitions of both species category and units, species rank, speciation issues, nomenclature, ecology, and species conservation.

Species Problems and Beyond aims to clarify the contemporary issues of the Species Problem. It is ideal for use in upper-level seminars and courses in Evolutionary Biology, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Biology, Systematics and Taxonomy, and Phylogenetics/Cladistics, and for any scholar in these fields.

I coedited this book with Frank Zachos, Vienna, and Igor Pavlinov, Moscow, and I have a chapter “The Good Species” in this volume.

Species: The Evolution of the Ideea (2018)

Published 2018

Blurb: Over time the complex idea of “species” has evolved, yet its meaning is far from resolved. This comprehensive work is a fresh look at an idea central to the field of biology by tracing its history from antiquity to today. Species is a benchmark exploration and clarification of a concept fundamental to the past, present, and future of the natural sciences. In this edition, a section is added on the debate over species since the time of the New Synthesis, and brings the book up to date. A section on recent philosophical debates over species has also been added. This edition is better suited non-specialists in philosophy, so that it will be of greater use for scientists wishing to understand how the notion came to be that living organisms form species.

This is an update and expansion of my 2009 book.

Published 2013

Blurb: Discussing the generally ignored issue of the classification of natural objects in the philosophy of science, this book focuses on knowledge and social relations, and offers a way to understand classification as a necessary aspect of doing science.

Coauthored with Malte Ebach. Ignore the penultimate chapter “Radistics”; I do not know what I was thinking.

Species: A history of the idea (2009)

Published 2009

Blurb: The complex idea of “species” has evolved over time, yet its meaning is far from resolved. This comprehensive work takes a fresh look at an idea central to the field of biology by tracing its history from antiquity to today. John S. Wilkins explores the essentialist view, a staple of logic from Plato and Aristotle through the Middle Ages to fairly recent times, and considers the idea of species in natural history—a concept often connected to reproduction. Tracing “generative conceptions” of species back through Darwin to Epicurus, Wilkins provides a new perspective on the relationship between philosophical and biological approaches to this concept. He also reviews the array of current definitions. Species is a benchmark exploration and clarification of a concept fundamental to the past, present, and future of the natural sciences.

This comes out of my PhD and postdoctoral work under Paul Griffiths.

Published 2009

Blurb: This book was listed as a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title in 2011.

Defining Species: A Sourcebook from Antiquity to Today provides excerpts and commentary on the definition of «species» from source material ranging from the Greeks, through the middle ages, to the modern era. It demonstrates that the logical meaning of species is in direct contrast to the use of kind terms and concepts in natural history and biology, and that the myth that biologists or natural historians were ever essentialists about kinds is mistaken.

This one I typeset myself. I am still proud of that.

Published 2010

Blurb: Over the past decade a strident public debate has arisen about the nature and origin of religions. Controversies include how exactly religion evolved, whether by individual or group selection, if it is adaptive, and if not, whether and how it is a side effect of evolution. This volume focuses on the issue of naturalizing religion: on the ways in which cognitive science and social sciences have treated religion as a natural phenomenon. It questions whether religious behaviour, institutions, and experiences can be explained in natural terms. The editor brings together some of the best published work on the definition of ‘religion’, intelligent design and the evolution of religion.

I edited previously published papers. Neil Levy got me this gig.

Books I am published in

Speciesism in Biology and Culture 2022
Speciesism in Biology and Culture 2022
Species, God and Dominion (chapter) Open source book
Species Problems and -Beyond 2022
Species Problems and -Beyond 2022
2022. “The Good Species.” In Species Problems and Beyond: Contemporary Issues in Philosophy and Practice, edited by John S. Wilkins, Frank E. Zachos, and Igor Ya. Pavlinov, 105–24. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis.
new-developments-in-religion
new-developments-in-religion
2018. “Why Do Believers Believe Silly Things? Costly Signaling and the Function of Denialism.” In New Developments in the Cognitive Science of Religion: The Rationality of Religious Belief, edited by Hans van Eyghen, Rik Peels, and Gijsbert van den Brink, 109–29. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90239-5_7.
Routledge Handbook of Evolution and Philosophy
Routledge Handbook of Evolution and Philosophy
2018. “The Reality of Species: Real Phenomena Not Theoretical Objects.” In Routledge Handbook of Evolution and Philosophy, edited by Richard Joyce, 167–81. Abingdon UK: Routledge.
Advances in Religion, Cognitive Science and Experimental Philosophy
Advances in Religion, Cognitive Science and Experimental Philosophy
2016. “Is Religion or Science Debunked by the Evolution of Cognitive Faculties?” In Advances in Religion, Cognitive Science, and Experimental Philosophy, edited by Helen de Cruz and Ryan Nichols, 19–38. London, NY: Continuum.
Darwin in the 21st Century- Nature, Humanity, and God
Darwin in the 21st Century- Nature, Humanity, and God
Griffiths, Paul E, and John S Wilkins. 2014. “When Do Evolutionary Explanations of Belief Debunk Belief?” In Darwin in the 21st Century: Nature, Humanity, and God, edited by Philip Sloan. Contributions from the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values. Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame University Press.
A Companion to Philosophy in Australia and New Zealand
A Companion to Philosophy in Australia and New Zealand
Contribution to 2014. “Philosophy of Biology in Australia.” In A Companion to Philosophy in Australia and New Zealand, edited by Graham Oppy, Nick Trakakis, Lynda Burns, and Fiona Leigh.
A New Science of Religion
A New Science of Religion
Wilkins, John S., and Paul E. Griffiths. 2013. “Evolutionary Debunking Arguments in Three Domains: Fact, Value, and Religion.” In A New Science of Religion, edited by J. Maclaurin and G. Dawes, 133–46. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Planet of the Apes and Philosophy - Great Apes think alike
Planet of the Apes and Philosophy - Great Apes think alike
2013. “Rise of the Planet of the Altruists.” In Planet of the Apes and Philosophy: Great Apes Think Alike, edited by John Huss, 177–89. Chicago: Open Court.
Philosophy of Pseudoscience
Philosophy of Pseudoscience
2013. “The Salem Region: Two Mindsets about Science.” In Philosophy of Pseudoscience, edited by Maarten Baudry and Massimo Pigliucci, 397–416. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
The Philosophy of Biology- A companion for educators
The Philosophy of Biology- A companion for educators
2013. “Essentialism in Biology.” In Philosophy of Biology: A Companion for Educators, edited by Kostas Kampourakis, 395–419. Dordrecht: Springer.
The Australian Book of Atheism
The Australian Book of Atheism
2010. “The Role of Secularism in Protecting Religion.” In The Australian Book of Atheism, edited by Warren Bonett, 313–25. Carlton North, Victoria: Scribe Publications.
A Companion to the Philosophy of History and Historiography
A Companion to the Philosophy of History and Historiography
2009. “Darwin.” In A Companion to the Philosophy of History and Historiography, edited by Aviezer Tucker, 405–15. Chichester UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
The Open Laboratory 2006 (2007)
The Open Laboratory 2006 (2007)
2007. “The Demarcation Problem... Again.” In The Open Laboratory: The Best Writing on Science Blogs 2006, edited by Bora Zivkovic, 269–74. Chapel Hill, NC: Lulu.
Darwinism and Evolutionary Economics
Darwinism and Evolutionary Economics
2001. “The Appearance of Lamarckism in the Evolution of Culture.” In Darwinism and Evolutionary Economics, edited by John Laurent and John Nightingale, 160–83. Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar.