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FORM, FUNCTION, FORESTS AND FOSSILS: SUSTAINABILITY REVISITED.

The article discusses the aesthetic dictum 'form follows function' and challenges its use in biology where form dictates the organization of key biological topics such as taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution, diversity, and conservation. Topics include evolutionist Charles Darwin's interest in form in his...

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Published in:Contemporary Review Vol. 293; no. 1703; pp. 462 - 473
Main Author: Skene, Keith
Format: Article
Published: Contemporary Review Company Ltd. Winter2011
Subjects:
Philosophy of biology
Form (Aesthetics)
Function (Biology)
Biological classification
Evolution & philosophy
Teleology
Forests & forestry & the environment
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Summary:The article discusses the aesthetic dictum 'form follows function' and challenges its use in biology where form dictates the organization of key biological topics such as taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution, diversity, and conservation. Topics include evolutionist Charles Darwin's interest in form in his theory of evolution, the teleological and divine nature of the form follows function argument, and the sustainability of forests.