David Hull is known for his contributions to the ontology of biological entities, including his theory of biological kinds and his analysis of the relationship between species and individuals.

The ontology of biological entities primarily focuses on understanding the fundamental nature and existence of biological entities, such as organisms, species, and genes.

Biological kinds are natural groupings of organisms that share common characteristics, reflecting their evolutionary relatedness and ecological roles.

Essentialism is a philosophical approach that focuses on identifying the essential properties or essences that define and distinguish biological entities.

The species problem revolves around the challenges in defining and delimiting species boundaries, given the continuous variation and intergradation among organisms.

Holism emphasizes that organisms are complex systems whose properties cannot be fully understood by reducing them to their constituent parts.

Emergent properties are those that arise from the interactions of lower-level components and cannot be predicted solely from the properties of those components.

Historicism emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical and contextual factors that have shaped biological entities and their relationships.

The debate surrounding biological functions centers on the nature and definition of functions, including whether they are objective properties of organisms or subjective interpretations imposed by humans.

Teleology is the idea that organisms are purposive and goal-directed systems, with their structures and functions serving specific purposes or goals.

The debate surrounding biological individuals focuses on the criteria for individuating organisms, given the challenges posed by continuous variation, modularity, and colonial organisms.

Phenomenology emphasizes the importance of understanding the subjective experiences and perspectives of organisms, including their qualia and consciousness.

The debate surrounding biological norms centers on the nature and definition of norms, including whether they are objective properties of organisms or subjective interpretations imposed by humans.

Ecology emphasizes the importance of understanding the interactions between organisms and their environment, including the role of abiotic and biotic factors.

The debate surrounding biological reductionism focuses on the possibility of reducing biological phenomena to lower-level explanations, such as physics and chemistry.