Philosophy Dictionary of ArgumentsHome | |||
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Form, philosophy: A. Form traditionally is an antonym of matter or content. Form is the structure or arrangement of something. It is the way that something is organized or composed. Form can be found in art, music, literature, architecture, nature and language. See also statue/clay, exterior/interior, Wholes, Parts, Dualism, Substance, Substrate, Change, Process.
B. In logic it comes to the form in which statements must be expressed in order to allow conclusions. See also Fine-grained/coarse-grained, Completeness, Theories, Systems, Formalism._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
Author | Concept | Summary/Quotes | Sources |
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Georges Cuvier on Forms - Dictionary of Arguments
Gould II 96 Forms/Nature/Biology/Explanation/Cuvier: Cuvier, as his cardinal rule for the construction of fossils, sketched a principle which he called "correlation of parts".(1) For him, animals are masterfully designed machines. >Parts, >Part-of-relation, >Complex, >Wholes, >Functions. GouldVsCuvier: today they are seen as fragmented compromises. Gould II 98 GouldVsCuvier: If a paleontologist looks at a single tooth, he will not tell him how long his legs were or whether the animal had fur because animals are not perfect and predictable machines. The paleontologist, for example, who identifies a rhinoceros through the tooth, does not count on the laws of physics, but draws an empirical conclusion: teeth of this kind have never been found in an animal other than a rhinoceros. The common misconception that paleontologists could see a complete dinosaur from a neck bone is due to Cuvier's principle of interrelationship: Every part of the body depends on the shape of others. Gould: There is indeed a principle of deduction: weak teeth make strong claws unlikely. 1. Cuvier, G. 1812. Recherches sur les ossemens fossils quadrupèdes, 4. volumes, Paris: Deterville._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Cuvier I Georges Cuvier Essay on the Theory of the Earth London 2003 Gould I Stephen Jay Gould The Panda’s Thumb. More Reflections in Natural History, New York 1980 German Edition: Der Daumen des Panda Frankfurt 2009 Gould II Stephen Jay Gould Hen’s Teeth and Horse’s Toes. Further Reflections in Natural History, New York 1983 German Edition: Wie das Zebra zu seinen Streifen kommt Frankfurt 1991 Gould III Stephen Jay Gould Full House. The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin, New York 1996 German Edition: Illusion Fortschritt Frankfurt 2004 Gould IV Stephen Jay Gould The Flamingo’s Smile. Reflections in Natural History, New York 1985 German Edition: Das Lächeln des Flamingos Basel 1989 |