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Full Idea
Biology is not a science like physics, in which one should strive to find 'laws of nature', but a species of engineering.
Gist of Idea
Biology is a type of engineering, not a search for laws of nature
Source
Daniel C. Dennett (Daniel Dennett on himself [1994], p.239)
Book Ref
'A Companion to the Philosophy of Mind', ed/tr. Guttenplan,Samuel [Blackwell 1995], p.239
A Reaction
Yes. This is also true of chemistry, which has always struck me as minitiarised car mechanics.
| 3983 | Learning is evolution in the brain [Dennett] |
| 3985 | Biology is a type of engineering, not a search for laws of nature [Dennett] |
| 3986 | The 'intentional stance' is a way of interpreting an entity by assuming it is rational and self-aware [Dennett] |
| 3987 | Like the 'centre of gravity', desires and beliefs are abstract concepts with no actual existence [Dennett] |
| 3984 | The nature of content is entirely based on its functional role [Dennett] |