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Samir Okasha: Evolution and the levels of selection

Oxford University Press, USA, 2006, £32 (HB), ISBN 978-0-19-926797-2

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Abstract

The debate about the levels of selection has been one of the most controversial both in evolutionary biology and in philosophy of science. Okasha’s book makes the sort of contribution that simply will not be able to be ignored by anyone interested in this field for many years to come. However, my interest here is in highlighting some examples of how Okasha goes about discussing his material to suggest that his book is part of an increasingly interesting trend that sees scientists and philosophers coming together to build a broadened concept of “theory” through a combination of standard mathematical treatments and conceptual analyses. Given the often contentious history of the relationship between philosophy and science, such trend cannot but be welcome.

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Notes

  1. See also a forthcoming special issue of the Quarterly Review of Biology, March 2008, dedicated to the further exploration of the borderline between science and philosophy, with particular reference to ecology and evolutionary biology.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Kim Sterelny for inviting me to write this paper, and Jonathan Kaplan for critically reading an earlier version of it. My thinking about the relationship between philosophy and science has also been influenced by several people, particularly Jonathan and Alan Love.

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Correspondence to Massimo Pigliucci.

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Pigliucci, M. Samir Okasha: Evolution and the levels of selection. Biol Philos 24, 551–560 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-007-9101-y

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