Immunity

From Science to Philosophy

Hidetaka Yakura

$221

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

CRC Press
05 August 2024

Immunology; Philosophy of science; Biology, life sciences

"This book explores the essence of immunity. After an initial review of hypotheses, models, and theories proposed to explain immune phenomena in humans and mice, it summarizes the results from synchronic organism‑level analyses and diachronic analyses tracing phylogeny. These results suggest that immunity is coextensive with life and is equipped with functions similar to the nervous system. Philosophical reflection with reference to Spinoza and Canguilhem suggests immunity is part of the essence of life—and the essence of immunity embraces mental elements with normativity. Approaching the essence of any phenomenon in this way is called ""metaphysicalization of science."" This book demonstrates the potential of this approach and contributes to a richer understanding of nature.

Key Features

Reviews the history of immunological theories

Discusses and integrates science and philosophy

Provides a biological framework for cognition and self vs. nonself

Inspired by Auguste Comte’s ""The Law of Three Stages"""

By: Hidetaka Yakura
Imprint: CRC Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm,
Weight: 490g
ISBN: 9781032776590
ISBN 10: 1032776595
Pages: 162
Publication Date: 05 August 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Introduction. Chapter 1. What Has Immunology Tried to Explain?. Chapter 2. Autoimmunity, Symbiosis, and Organism. Chapter 3. The Immune System at the Organism Level. Chapter 4. The Immune System Omnipresent in the Biological World. Chapter 5. Metaphysics of Immunity. Chapter 6. Toward a New Philosophy of Life. Epilogue.

Hidetaka Yakura, M.D., Ph.D. (Pathology), Ph.D. (Epistemology, History of Science and Technology), is the director of the Institute for Science and Human Existence. He started his career with seven years of research in immunology at the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. After serving as the director of the Department of Immunology and Signal Transduction at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Medical Research, he embarked on philosophical investigations of immunity in Paris in 2007, receiving his Ph.D. from Sorbonne University Paris Cité (presently, Paris Cité University) in 2016. He is currently exploring new perspectives on nature, life, and human existence.