Inventive Life
Approaches to the New Vitalism
Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology
| Author: | ISBN: | 9781473971844 | |
| Publisher: | SAGE Publications | Publication: | January 19, 2006 |
| Imprint: | SAGE Publications Ltd | Language: | English |
| Author: | |
| ISBN: | 9781473971844 |
| Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
| Publication: | January 19, 2006 |
| Imprint: | SAGE Publications Ltd |
| Language: | English |
This book demonstrates how and why vitalism - the idea that life cannot be explained by the principles of mechanism - matters now. Vitalism resists closure and reductionism in the life sciences whilst simultaneously addressing the object of life itself. The aim of this collection is to consider the questions that vitalism makes it possible to ask: questions about the role and status of life across the sciences, social sciences and humanities and questions about contingency, indeterminacy, relationality and change. All have special importance now, as the concepts of complexity, artificial life and artificial intelligence, information theory and cybernetics become increasingly significant in more and more fields of activity.
This book demonstrates how and why vitalism - the idea that life cannot be explained by the principles of mechanism - matters now. Vitalism resists closure and reductionism in the life sciences whilst simultaneously addressing the object of life itself. The aim of this collection is to consider the questions that vitalism makes it possible to ask: questions about the role and status of life across the sciences, social sciences and humanities and questions about contingency, indeterminacy, relationality and change. All have special importance now, as the concepts of complexity, artificial life and artificial intelligence, information theory and cybernetics become increasingly significant in more and more fields of activity.
