Hostname: page-component-54dcc4c588-54gsr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-09-25T12:09:45.201Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Pomp of Superfluous Causes: The Interpretation of Evolutionary Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

D. M. Walsh
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

There are two competing interpretations of the modern synthesis theory of evolution: the dynamical (also know as ‘traditional’) and the statistical. The dynamical interpretation maintains that explanations offered under the auspices of the modern synthesis theory articulate the causes of evolution. It interprets selection and drift as causes of population change. The statistical interpretation holds that modern synthesis explanations merely cite the statistical structure of populations. This paper offers a defense of statisticalism. It argues that a change in trait frequencies in a population can be attributed only to selection or drift against the background of a particular statistical description of the population. The traditionalist supposition that selection and drift are description-independent causes of population change leads the dynamical interpretation into a dilemma: it must face a contradiction or accept the loss of explanatory power.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 74 , Issue 3 , July 2007 , pp. 281 - 303
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

Footnotes

‡

I wish to thank audiences at Stirling, Toronto, and CSHPS for helpful questions and comments. I have benefited greatly from discussion with Sorin Bangu, Anjan Chakravartty, Ronnie de Sousa, Ronpal Dosanjh, Margie Morrison, Elliott Sober, Kyle Stanford, Chris Stephens, and Michael Strevens. I am particularly indebted to my fellow ‘statisticalistas’ André Ariew and Mohan Matthen.

References

Abrams, Marshall (2007), “How Do Natural Selection and Random Drift Interact?”, Philosophy of Science (forthcoming).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ariew, André, and Lewontin, Richard C. (2004), “The Confusions of Fitness”, The Confusions of Fitness 55:347–363.Google Scholar
Beatty, John (1984), “Chance and Natural Selection”, Chance and Natural Selection 51:183–211.Google Scholar
Bouchard, Frederic, and Rosenberg, Alexander (2004), “Fitness, Probability and the Principles of Natural Selection”, Fitness, Probability and the Principles of Natural Selection 55:693–712.Google Scholar
Brandon, Robert (2006), “The Principle of Drift: Biology’s First Law”, The Principle of Drift: Biology’s First Law 103:319–336.Google Scholar
Brandon, Robert, and Ramsey, Grant (2007), “What’s Wrong with the Emergentist Statistical Interpretation of Natural Selection and Random Drift”, in Ruse, Michael and Hull, David L. (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Philosophy of Biology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Fisher, Ronald A. (1930), The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection. New York: Dover.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillespie, James (1977), “Natural Selection for Variances in Offspring Number—a New Evolutionary Principle”, Natural Selection for Variances in Offspring Number—a New Evolutionary Principle 111:1010–1014.Google Scholar
Grene, Marjorie (1961), “Statistics and Selection”, Statistics and Selection 12:25–42.Google Scholar
Hodge, M. J. S. (1987), “Natural Selection as a Causal, Empirical, and Probabilistic Theory”, in Krüger, L. (ed.), The Probabilistic Revolution. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 233–270.Google Scholar
Lange, M. (2001), Introduction to the Philosophy of Physics: Locality, Fields and Mass. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Matthen, Mohan, and Ariew, André (2002), “Two Ways of Thinking about Fitness and Natural Selection”, Two Ways of Thinking about Fitness and Natural Selection 119:55–83.Google Scholar
Matthen, Mohan, and Ariew, André (2005), “How to Understand Causal Relations in Natural Selection: Reply to Rosenberg and Bouchard”, How to Understand Causal Relations in Natural Selection: Reply to Rosenberg and Bouchard 20:355–364.Google Scholar
Millstein, Roberta (2002), “Are Random Drift and Natural Selection Conceptually Distinct?”, Are Random Drift and Natural Selection Conceptually Distinct? 17:33–53.Google Scholar
Millstein, Roberta (2006), “Natural Selection as a Population-Level Causal Process”, Natural Selection as a Population-Level Causal Process 57:627–653.Google Scholar
Newton, I. ([1729] 1963), Sir Isaac Newton’s Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy: The System of the World. Translated by Motte, A.; revised by Cajori, F.. Berkeley: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Reisman, Kenneth, and Forber, Patrick (2005), “Manipulation and the Causes of Evolution”, Manipulation and the Causes of Evolution 72:1113–1123.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, Alexander (2006), Darwinian Reductionism, or How to Stop Worrying and Love Molecular Biology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenberg, Alexander, and Bouchard, Frederic (2005), “Matthen and Ariew’s Obituary for Fitness: Reports of Its Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated”, Matthen and Ariew’s Obituary for Fitness: Reports of Its Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated 20:343–353.Google Scholar
Shapiro, Lawrence A., and Sober, Elliott (2007), “Epiphenomenalism—Some Do’s and Don’ts”, in Wolters, G. and Machamer, P. (eds), Studies in Causality: Historical and Contemporary. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.Google Scholar
Sober, Elliott (1984), The Nature of Selection. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Sober, Elliott (2001), “Two Faces of Fitness”, in Singh, R., Paul, D., Krimbas, C., and Beatty, J. (eds.), Thinking about Evolution: Historical, Philosophical, and Political Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 309–321.Google Scholar
Stephens, Christopher (2004), “Selection, Drift and the ‘Forces’ of Evolution”, Selection, Drift and the ‘Forces’ of Evolution 71:550–570.Google Scholar
Walsh, Denis M. (2003), “Fit and Diversity: Explaining Adaptive Evolution”, Fit and Diversity: Explaining Adaptive Evolution 70:280–301.Google Scholar
Walsh, Denis M. (2004), “Bookkeeping or Metaphysics? The Units of Selection Debate”, Bookkeeping or Metaphysics? The Units of Selection Debate 138:337–361.Google Scholar
Walsh, Denis, Lewens, Tim, and Ariew, André (2002), “The Trials of Life: Natural Selection and Drift”, The Trials of Life: Natural Selection and Drift 69:452–473.Google Scholar
Waters, C. Kenneth (1991), “Tempered Realism about the Force of Selection”, Tempered Realism about the Force of Selection 58:553–573.Google Scholar
Woodward, J. (2003), Making Things Happen. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Wright, S. ([1931] 1986), “The Statistical Theory of Evolution”, The Statistical Theory of Evolution 22:201–208. Reprinted in William Provine (ed.), Evolution: Selected Papers. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 89–96.Google Scholar
Zar, Jerrold (1974), Biostatistical Analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar