A Unified Approach to Species
Authors |
|
Abstract |
There are a number of different species concepts currently in use. The variety results from differing desiderata and practices of taxonomists, ecologists and evolutionary theorists. Recently, arguments have been presented for pluralism about species. I believe this is unsatisfactory, however, because of the central role of species in biological theory. Taking the line that species are individuals, I ask what might individuate them. In other work I have argued that dynamical systems are individuated by their cohesion. I present here a version of a cohesion concept of species that accounts for the advantages of other species concepts, and is open-ended enough to accommodate additions to or changes in biological theory. On my account biological forces combine like Newtonian forces, to work on a common locus. Just as we might have an electromagnetic system, we might have an ecological species, if the dominant source of cohesion is ecology, but there is no certainty that biological species will divide up into elegant single principle types anymore than there is for physical systems
|
Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
No references found.
Citations of this work BETA
No citations found.
Similar books and articles
Species Pluralism Does Not Imply Species Eliminativism.Ingo Brigandt - 2003 - Philosophy of Science 70 (5):1305–1316.
On Species Individualism: A New Defense of the Species-as-Individuals Hypothesis.Keith A. Coleman & E. O. Wiley - 2001 - Philosophy of Science 68 (4):498-517.
Species Concepts and the Ontology of Evolution.Joel Cracraft - 1987 - Biology and Philosophy 2 (3):329-346.
A (Not-so-Radical) Solution to the Species Problem.Bradley E. Wilson - 1995 - Biology and Philosophy 10 (3):339-356.
Cohesion, Gene Flow, and the Nature of Species.Matthew J. Barker & Robert A. Wilson - 2010 - Journal of Philosophy 107 (2):59-77.
The Cladistic Solution to the Species Problem.Mark Ridley - 1989 - Biology and Philosophy 4 (1):1-16.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2009-04-10
Total views
12 ( #809,369 of 2,506,520 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
0
2009-04-10
Total views
12 ( #809,369 of 2,506,520 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
0
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads