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The Statistical Character of Evolutionary Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2022

Barbara L. Horan
Barbara L. Horan*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy University of Maryland
*
‡Send reprint requests to the author, Department of Philosophy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA.
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Abstract

This paper takes a critical look at the idea that evolutionary theory is a statistical theory. It argues that despite the strong instrumental motivation for statistical theories, they are not necessary to explain deterministic systems. Biological evolution is fundamentally a result of deterministic processes. Hence, a statistical theory is not necessary for describing the evolutionary forces of genetic drift and natural selection, nor is it needed for describing the fitness of organisms. There is a computational advantage to the statistical theory of population genetics, but population genetics succeeds only by eliminating causes from its account of evolutionary change.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 61 , Issue 1 , March 1994 , pp. 76 - 95
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

†

Many people have read earlier versions of this paper and/or have made valuable suggestions. Special thanks go to Henry Byerly, Nancy Cartwright, John Dupré, David Hilbert, David Hull, Wilbur Knorr, Robert Richardson, Alex Rosenberg, Robert Rynasiewicz, Merrilee Salmon, Abner Shimony, Elliott Sober, Patrick Suppes, Ken Waters and Jim Woodward. Chuang Liu and Niall Shanks were especially helpful in answering questions about quantum theory.

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