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The Formal Structure of Genetics and the Reduction Problem

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2022

A. Lindenmayer  and
N. Simon
A. Lindenmayer
Affiliation:
Theoretical Biology Group, University of Utrecht Padualaan 8, Utrecht , 3508 TB, The Netherlands
N. Simon
Affiliation:
Theoretical Biology Group, University of Utrecht Padualaan 8, Utrecht , 3508 TB, The Netherlands
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Extract

An often heard remark is that “discovery of the molecular basis of heredity means that all life processes are now or will shortly be explainable on a molecular basis.” This extreme view is defended with surprising vehemence by one faction of biologists. The opposing view, just as extremely expressed is that “no interesting biological phenomena have yet been explained by molecular mechanisms, not even genetic phenomena.” These two positions have been called the “reductionist” and “antireductionist” points of view. Since “reductionism” is given in the philosophy of science many different meanings, we choose the one which in our opinion could shed some light on the problems underlying this controversy. In our view all the emotion-laden epithets aside, “reductionism” has still primarily to do with “theory reduction” in the logical empiricist (or positivist) sense. Clearly this concept is inextricably tied up with that of “explanation”, and fundamentally it is explanations that this controversy is about.

Type
Part VI. Reduction in Biology and Psychology
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1980 , Issue 1: Volume One: Contributed Papers 1980 , 1980 , pp. 160 - 170
Copyright
Copyright © 1980 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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