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1 results

  • 9 - Big-Picture Questions

  • Elliott Sober, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Book:
    The Philosophy of Evolutionary Theory
    Published online:
    01 February 2024
    Print publication:
    08 February 2024, pp 230-257

  • Summary

    ● Dynamical laws in evolutionary biology often take the form of a priori conditionals. The idea that a priori dynamical generalizations are laws is defended and shown to have anti-reductionist consequences. ● The definitions of determinism and indeterminism usually used in physics and philosophy differ from the definitions often used in population genetics. ● The question of what it means for a probability to have an objective interpretation is clarified. ● A necessary and sufficient condition is described for when indeterminism at the micro-level gives rise to determinism at the macro-level. It is argued that this condition is rarely if ever satisfied. ● Several objective interpretations of probability are canvased and criticized. ● The question is raised of why an interpretation of objective probabilities is needed. ● The concepts of inevitability, contingency, and sensitivity to initial conditions in evolutionary processes are explored. ● The question of whether evolution is an information-destroying process is investigated.