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Problems of Measurement and Meaning in Biology

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Epistemology of the Human Sciences

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Classical Liberalism ((PASTCL))

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Abstract

Physicists measure identical objects with ratio scales to determine inexorable laws of nature by experimental control. Life has unique subjects, who cannot be measured except with less powerful scale techniques and can never be “controlled” to yield physics-like laws. Life arose without lawful (inexorable) determination, by enabling circumstances subject to rules but not physical determinism. Biology requires functional (higher order) explanatory concepts beyond what physics can provide. Replicability is always scale dependent and requires “uniform” subjects, which can never be guaranteed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Washington, PA, USA

    Walter B. Weimer

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  1. Walter B. Weimer
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Correspondence to Walter B. Weimer .

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Weimer, W.B. (2023). Problems of Measurement and Meaning in Biology. In: Epistemology of the Human Sciences. Palgrave Studies in Classical Liberalism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17173-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17173-4_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-17172-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-17173-4

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