J. B. S. Haldane, Ernst Mayr and the Beanbag Genetics Dispute

Journal of the History of Biology 44 (2):233 - 281 (2011)
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Abstract

Starting from the early decades of the twentieth century, evolutionary biology began to acquire mathematical overtones. This took place via the development of a set of models in which the Darwinian picture of evolution was shown to be consistent with the laws of heredity discovered by Mendel. The models, which came to be elaborated over the years, define a field of study known as population genetics. Population genetics is generally looked upon as an essential component of modern evolutionary theory. This article deals with a famous dispute between J. B. S. Haldane, one of the founders of population genetics, and Ernst Mayr, a major contributor to the way we understand evolution. The philosophical undercurrents of the dispute remain relevant today. Mayr and Haldane agreed that genetics provided a broad explanatory framework for explaining how evolution took place but differed over the relevance of the mathematical models that sought to underpin that framework. The dispute began with a fundamental issue raised by Mayr in 1959: in terms of understanding evolution, did population genetics contribute anything beyond the obvious? Haldane's response came just before his death in 1964. It contained a spirited defense, not just of population genetics, but also of the motivations that lie behind mathematical modelling in biology. While the difference of opinion persisted and was not glossed over, the two continued to maintain cordial personal relations

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Citations of this work

Making the most of clade selection.W. Ford Doolittle - 2017 - Philosophy of Science 84 (2):275-295.
Proof of Concept Research.Steve Elliott - 2021 - Philosophy of Science 88 (2):258-280.
Haldane and Mayr: a response to Rao and Nanjundiah.Sahotra Sarkar - 2016 - History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences 38 (1):151-154.

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References found in this work

Animal Species and Evolution.Ernst Mayr - 1963 - Belknap of Harvard University Press.
The Genetic Basis of Evolutionary Change. R. C. Lewontin.Michael Ruse - 1976 - Philosophy of Science 43 (2):302-304.
The Nature of the Physical World.A. Eddington - 1928 - Humana Mente 4 (14):252-255.

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