This collection of essays by a leading philosopher of science defends integrative pluralism as the best description for today's complexity of scientific inquiry. The tendency of some scientists to reduce all theories to a few fundamental laws of the most basic particles that populate our universe is not appropriate for the biological sciences, which study multi-component, multi-level, evolved complex systems. This book will be of interest to students and professionals in the philosophy of science.
Author(s): Sandra D. Mitchell
Series: Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Biology
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 260
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
FIGURES......Page 13
Preface and Acknowledgments......Page 15
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 16
1 Introduction......Page 19
PART I: COMPLEXITY......Page 22
A. Compositional Complexity......Page 23
B. Complex Dynamics......Page 24
C. Evolved Diversity of Populations......Page 25
PART II. PLURALISM......Page 26
I Complexity......Page 29
2 Constitutive Complexity......Page 31
Introduction......Page 32
The Superorganism......Page 33
Critical Theory of Metaphors......Page 34
The “Revived” Superorganism......Page 42
The Variety of Functional Organization in Social Insects......Page 44
Insect Colonies as Dynamical Complex Systems......Page 49
Functional or Apparently Functional?......Page 51
Direct versus Indirect Selection......Page 52
Selection versus Spontaneous Order......Page 53
Toward a Dynamical Model for Hierarchically Organized Complex Systems......Page 54
Conclusion......Page 55
3 Dynamic Complexity......Page 56
Introduction......Page 57
The Model......Page 59
Case 1: Variable Data Sampling…......Page 62
Case 2: Variable Sampling…......Page 64
Case 3: Variable Threshold Distributions, Random Sampling, N = 100, S = N......Page 65
Case 4: Variable Stimulus Level, Variable Threshold Distribution, Random Sampling, S = N......Page 66
Case 5: Two Tasks, Two Thresholds, Two Stimuli......Page 68
Discussion......Page 69
Natural Selection Operates on Parameters of Complex Dynamical Systems......Page 71
Conclusions......Page 75
4 Evolved Diversity......Page 76
4.1. COMPETING UNITS OF SELECTION? A CASE OF SYMBIOSIS......Page 77
The Process of Evolution by Natural Selection......Page 79
Dawkins and Brandon on Evolution by Natural Selection......Page 81
What’s in a Unit?......Page 84
The Unit of Adaptation......Page 86
Identifying Adaptive Traits......Page 92
4.2. THE UNITS OF BEHAVIOR IN EVOLUTIONARY EXPLANATIONS......Page 93
Causal Explanation in Evolutionary Biology......Page 94
Individuating Behaviors......Page 96
From Genes to Behavior......Page 98
Classifications of Similarity......Page 102
The Case of Rape......Page 103
4.3. ON BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS......Page 110
Setting the Stage......Page 111
Natural Functions and Social Functions......Page 114
Malfunction and the Problem of Doubles......Page 117
Biological Fitness Analogy......Page 121
The Disposition Argument......Page 123
The Problem Shift......Page 126
Compatibility of Etiologies and Dispositions......Page 128
Conclusion......Page 129
II Pluralism......Page 131
5 Laws......Page 133
Introduction......Page 134
The Normative Strategy......Page 135
The Paradigmatic Strategy......Page 140
The Pragmatic Strategy......Page 141
Introduction......Page 144
Normative and Pragmatic Strategies......Page 146
Traditional Normative Approaches......Page 147
Biological Laws and the Continuum of Contingency......Page 152
The Pragmatic Strategy......Page 160
Introduction......Page 165
Types of Contingency......Page 169
Multilevel, Multicomponent Systems: The Case of Division of Labor......Page 174
Conclusion......Page 177
Introduction......Page 179
Complexity......Page 185
Contingency......Page 187
Complexity and Contingency......Page 190
The Philosophical Consequences......Page 192
6 Pluralism or Disunity......Page 197
6.1. CRITICS OF UNITY OF SCIENCE......Page 198
Why Reductionism Is Compelling......Page 199
Why Reductionism Doesn’t Capture the Realities of Scientific Inquiry......Page 200
Alternatives to Reductionism: Types of Pluralism......Page 204
Integrative Pluralism......Page 210
Introduction......Page 212
Origin of the Problem......Page 213
Developmental Challenge......Page 215
Levels of Analysis......Page 217
Idealized Causal Processes......Page 221
Pluralism or Competition?......Page 223
Competitive versus Compatible Alternatives......Page 226
The Case of Division of Labor......Page 228
Integrative Pluralism......Page 234
Conclusion......Page 235
References......Page 237
Index......Page 257
