Book Series

Although biologists often use descriptive language that imputes purposiveness to living systems, many have argued that these conceptions are at best heuristic, and at worst egregious errors. Yet there is a growing recognition that biological phenomena suggesting agency, directionality, and goal-directedness demand new or updated conceptual frameworks that can translate into rigorous theoretical models and discriminating empirical tests.

This series introduces and extends scholarship emerging from the novel, interdisciplinary, large-scale Agency, Directionality and Function cohort program that combined philosophers, theoreticians, and experimentalists to address these demands. All books in the series are published open access. Inquiries about proposals for new titles in the series are welcome. Please contact the series editor (Alan Love) or consult the official Springer book series website.