Function Statements

Achinstein, Peter

doi:10.1086/288754

Cited by 54 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Biological functions are understood in the sense of traits evolved to increase the organism's fitness and contribute to the evolutionary success [41]. In contrast, technical functions are defined in the sense of a specific process, action or task [42]. Examples for the second level of learning from evolutionary processes are the optimization algorithms based on growth rules of trees (Computer Aided Optimization) and bones (Soft Kill Option) and the evolutionary algorithms, which lead to biomimetically optimized products [11].…”

Section: Biological Idea Generators For Sustainability Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the same system is investigated, the same assessment structure as for environmental burden is applied and defined as positive intended impacts. Life cycle related indirect effects such as recyclability in general are considered for burden assessment, as they are not regarded as intended design function [42].…”

Section: Environmental Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While these functions can be distinguished between design functions, use functions and service functions only design function can be considered for product development as this is the function that was designed as a means of achieving its end [42]. It is therefore a crucial aspect to be considered when designing or developing products to address the specific function or functions.…”

Section: Social Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:Technological advancement culminating in a globalized economy has brought tremendous improvements for mankind in manifold respects but comes at the cost of alienation from nature. Human activities nowadays are unsustainable and cause severe damage especially in terms of global depletion and destabilization of natural systems but also harm its own social resources. In this paper, a sustainability assessment method is developed based on a bio-inspired sustainability framework that has been developed in the project TRR 141-C01 "The biomimetic promise". It is aims at regaining the advantages of societal embeddedness in its environment through biological inspiration. The method is developed using a structured approach including requirement specification, description of the inventory models on bio-inspiration and sustainability assessment, creation of a bio-inspired sustainability assessment model and its validation. It is defined as an accompanying assessment for decision support, using a six-fold two-dimensional structure of social, economic and environmental functions and burdens. The method is applied and validated in 6 projects of TRR 141 and its applicability is exemplarily shown by the assessment of "Bio-flexi", a biobased and biodegradable natural fiber reinforced plastic composite for indoor cladding applications. Based on the findings of the application the assessment method itself is proposed to be advanced towards an adaptive structure and a consequent outlook is provided.

show abstract

Section: Biological Idea Generators For Sustainability Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Environmental Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Social Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Reznek (1987; see also Achinstein, 1977, andBigelow andPargetter, 1987) mentions three overarching theories, which answer these questions by quite different explications of (*). The evaluative theory with the explication 'X does F and that contributes to the good of S' (for example Canfield, 1963 andSorabji, 1964), the teleological theory with 'X does F and that contributes to certain goals of S' (for example Boorse, 1976) and finally the etiological theory with 'X does F and that is a causal factor for the continued existence of X in S via the mechanism of natural selection' (a somewhat different etiological approach was introduced by Wright, 1973).…”

Section: Some General Remarks About Function Statementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a pluralistic concept of function function statements in biology

Pranger

1990

Acta Biotheor

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The meaning of function statements is not clear. Several authors have come up with different explications. By interviewing biologists I tried to get a picture of how they think about 'function'. Two explications of "Feature X of organism S has function F" came to the fore: (1) "X contributes to F and F contributes to survival/reproduction of S" and (2) "X does F and that contributes to the evolutionary development of X in S via natural selection". Most biologists also related function to adaptation. Gould and Vrba criticize the ordinary use of 'adaptation' in biology. They propose to use it only in the sense of features developed by natural selection for their current role and to use 'exaptation' for features enhancing fitness, but not developed for this by natural selection. This, however, leaves a terminological gap, because as a consequence only effects of adaptations are functions. Effects of exaptations and effects which are not beneficial, like the production of heart sounds, are placed on the same level. That is not in accordance with the practice of biology. That is why a distinction is made between general, adaptive and exaptive functions: function as a pluralistic concept.

show abstract

“…Recent contributions to this enterprise, which received an early articulation by Carl G. Hempel (1959), have been made by Berent Enc (1979), Peter Achinstein (1977), Christopher Boorse (1976), Andrew Woodfield (1976), andRobert Cummins (1975). Some studies aim at the broadest possible understanding of the way we use functional terms and explanations, drawing examples from ordinary usage and the sciences of life and society, including biology merely as a special case.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%