Why Evolution is Really Indeterministic

Synthese 136 (2):263-279 (2003)
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Abstract

Leslie Graves, Barbara Horan and Alex Rosenberg (1999) have argued that the process of evolution is really deterministic, so we should be instrumentalists about our probabilistic evolutionary theory. I criticize the consistency of their view. I argue that because they are realists towards multiple theories (quantum mechanics and macrophysics) their arguments against realism for another scientific theory fail. The main point of this paper is critical, but in order to set up this criticism I explore the ramifications of realism for multiple theories. Finally, I offer a brief metaphysical justification for realism about multiple theories. This view justifies realism for evolutionary theory, which has been defended by Robert Brandon and Scott Carson (1996).

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Roger Sansom
Texas A&M University

Citations of this work

Why It Is Time To Move Beyond Nagelian Reduction.Marie I. Kaiser - 2012 - In D. Dieks, W. J. Gonzalez, S. Hartmann, M. Stöltzner & M. Weber (eds.), Probabilities, Laws, and Structures. The Philosophy of Science in a European Perspective. Heidelberg, GER: Springer. pp. 255-272.
Indeterminism in the brain.Bryce Gessell - 2017 - Biology and Philosophy 32 (6):1205-1223.
Probability, Indeterminism and Biological Processes.Charlotte Werndl - 2012 - In D. Dieks, J. G. Wenceslao, Stephan Hartmann, Michael Stoeltzner & Marcel Weber (eds.), Probabilities, Laws, and Structures. Springer. pp. 263-277.
Objective and Subjective Probability in Gene Expression.Joel D. Velasco - 2012 - Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 110:5-10.

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References found in this work

How the laws of physics lie.Nancy Cartwright - 1983 - New York: Oxford University Press.
Instrumental Biology, or the Disunity of Science.Alexander Rosenberg - 1994 - Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
The Nature of the Physical World.A. Eddington - 1928 - Humana Mente 4 (14):252-255.

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