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A Structural Description of Evolutionary Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2022

Robert N. Brandon
Robert N. Brandon*
Affiliation:
Duke University
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Extract

What is the structure of evolutionary theory? The question seems to presuppose a unique right answer. But the relevant notion of structure is highly relative to broad philosophic theories about scientific theories. At present no one such theory dominates. One once did. It went by the name ‘Logical Positivism’. During its heyday a unique right answer to our question might have been expected. There is no reason to expect one now.

Not only should one not suppose that there is a uniquely correct structural description of evolutionary theory, neither should one suppose that giving a structural description of evolutionary theory is essentially uncovering what is implicit in biological work. That approach is appropriate only when conceptual fossilization has occurred. In the case of evolutionary theory molding is more appropriate than uncovering.

Type
Part VII. The Structure of Evolutionary Theory
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1980 , Issue 2: Volume Two: Symposia and Invited Papers 1980 , 1980 , pp. 427 - 439
Copyright
Copyright © 1981 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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References

Brandon, R. N. (1978). “Adaptation and Evolutionary Theory.” Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. 9: 181-206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hacking, I. (1965). Logic of Statistical Inference. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mills, S. K. and Beatty, J. H. (1979). “The Propensity Interpretation of Fitness.” Philosophy of Science 46: 263-286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, M.B. (1970). “Deducing the Consequences of Evolution: A Mathematical Model.” Journal of Theoretical Biology 29: 343-385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed