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Published on: April 27, 2021
Hans-Jörg Rheinberger on biological time scales
1Department of Philosophy Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. rmburian@vt.edu
Abstract:
H.-J. Rheinberger (in Rheinberger 2002) analyzed the history of biological time concepts in very short compass. He begins with Newtonian time and Buffon's attempts to handle biological time. He then suggests an architectonic structure to account for three distinctive sorts of biological time. I summarize Rheinberger's account in this valuable essay, but criticize the architectonic as overly hierarchical (though Rheinberger also recognized relevant reticulation within the article) and for failing to appreciate sufficiently the interweaving of time scales in biological interactions.
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