Unit:
Διαπανεπιστημιακό ΠΜΣ Ιστορία και Φιλοσοφία των Επιστημών και της ΤεχνολογίαςLibrary of the School of Science
Author:
Theodorakopoulos Ilias
Supervisors info:
Χρυσόστομος Μαντζαβίνος, Καθηγητης, ΜΙΘΕ, ΕΚΠΑ
Θεόδωρος Αραμπατζής, Καθηγητης, ΜΙΘΕ, ΕΚΠΑ
Κωσταντίνος Δημητρακόπουλος, Καθηγητης, ΜΙΘΕ, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Εξηγητικοί κανόνες και η μοριοποίηση της έρευνας στην Βιολογία. Το παραδειγμα της κυτταροκίνησης
Translated title:
Explanatory rules and the molecularization of biological research. The cytokinesis example.
Summary:
Cytokinesis the last phase of cell division has been studied for more than a decade. Nevertheless the brake through came late 40s when polarized microscopy provided the means for observing the cell in vivo. The subsequent decades were characterized by a fully pluralistic fashion, in terms of hypothesis, methodologies, and conclusions.
This thesis investigates the historiography and epistemology of this vast research field from late 40s until today. The historical phases have been divided in three parts, on the basis of the tools that where invented, applied and reconsidered. In addition, the emergence of the concept of “proteins” is demonstrated. An emergence that became feasible only when the technology of electrophoretic analysis reached a certain degree of accuracy, and gained the research communities’ consensus. Finally, a comparative evaluation takes place in terms of whether this explanatory endeavor can be conceptualized by the newly formed philosophical theory of “Explanatory games”,a theory that, until now, has mainly been applied to the social sciences.
Main subject category:
History
Other subject categories:
Philosophy
Keywords:
cytokinesis, molecularization, reductionism
