IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLE
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2017 |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Vibrant |
Texto Completo: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1809-43412017000300200 |
Resumo: | Abstract My objective is to discuss the persistence of the notion of natural selection in the biological sciences, exploring the fact that: (1) this notion, just like the term culture in anthropology, is historically an inaugural concept in its particular scientific field, and, insofar as both possess a value of heuristic delimitation, both thus came to be considered as explanatory concepts, although today they may be more widely accepted as descriptive in kind; (2) this persistence seems to be equally linked to the fact that the term combines randomness and teleology, but without foregrounding the inherent contradiction; (3) the anthropomorphic metaphors generally used in the description of biological processes, by attributing intentionality to beings lacking in self-determination, presume the existence of a nature defined by processes oriented towards precise ends, endorsing the finalism that, I believe, underlies the idea of natural selection; (4) and, finally, I think that ‘culture’ and ‘natural selection’ correspond to disciplinary labels - for social anthropology and biology respectively - that arose in Victorian Britain, as defined by the Great Divide, but they no longer have explanatory power. |
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IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLEnatural selectionbiologyrandomness and teleologyAbstract My objective is to discuss the persistence of the notion of natural selection in the biological sciences, exploring the fact that: (1) this notion, just like the term culture in anthropology, is historically an inaugural concept in its particular scientific field, and, insofar as both possess a value of heuristic delimitation, both thus came to be considered as explanatory concepts, although today they may be more widely accepted as descriptive in kind; (2) this persistence seems to be equally linked to the fact that the term combines randomness and teleology, but without foregrounding the inherent contradiction; (3) the anthropomorphic metaphors generally used in the description of biological processes, by attributing intentionality to beings lacking in self-determination, presume the existence of a nature defined by processes oriented towards precise ends, endorsing the finalism that, I believe, underlies the idea of natural selection; (4) and, finally, I think that ‘culture’ and ‘natural selection’ correspond to disciplinary labels - for social anthropology and biology respectively - that arose in Victorian Britain, as defined by the Great Divide, but they no longer have explanatory power.Associação Brasileira de Antropologia (ABA)2017-01-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1809-43412017000300200Vibrant: Virtual Brazilian Anthropology v.14 n.3 2017reponame:Vibrantinstname:Associação Brasileira de Antropologiainstacron:ABA10.1590/1809-43412017v14n3p001info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessSilva,Gláucia Oliveira daeng2017-12-08T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S1809-43412017000300200Revistahttp://www.vibrant.org.br/https://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.phpvibrant.aba@gmail.com1809-43411809-4341opendoar:2017-12-08T00:00Vibrant - Associação Brasileira de Antropologiafalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLE |
title |
IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLE |
spellingShingle |
IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLE Silva,Gláucia Oliveira da natural selection biology randomness and teleology |
title_short |
IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLE |
title_full |
IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLE |
title_fullStr |
IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLE |
title_full_unstemmed |
IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLE |
title_sort |
IS NATURAL SELECTION A CHIMERA? REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘SURVIVAL’ OF A PRINCIPLE |
author |
Silva,Gláucia Oliveira da |
author_facet |
Silva,Gláucia Oliveira da |
author_role |
author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Silva,Gláucia Oliveira da |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
natural selection biology randomness and teleology |
topic |
natural selection biology randomness and teleology |
description |
Abstract My objective is to discuss the persistence of the notion of natural selection in the biological sciences, exploring the fact that: (1) this notion, just like the term culture in anthropology, is historically an inaugural concept in its particular scientific field, and, insofar as both possess a value of heuristic delimitation, both thus came to be considered as explanatory concepts, although today they may be more widely accepted as descriptive in kind; (2) this persistence seems to be equally linked to the fact that the term combines randomness and teleology, but without foregrounding the inherent contradiction; (3) the anthropomorphic metaphors generally used in the description of biological processes, by attributing intentionality to beings lacking in self-determination, presume the existence of a nature defined by processes oriented towards precise ends, endorsing the finalism that, I believe, underlies the idea of natural selection; (4) and, finally, I think that ‘culture’ and ‘natural selection’ correspond to disciplinary labels - for social anthropology and biology respectively - that arose in Victorian Britain, as defined by the Great Divide, but they no longer have explanatory power. |
publishDate |
2017 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2017-01-01 |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1809-43412017000300200 |
url |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1809-43412017000300200 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
10.1590/1809-43412017v14n3p001 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
text/html |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Associação Brasileira de Antropologia (ABA) |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Associação Brasileira de Antropologia (ABA) |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Vibrant: Virtual Brazilian Anthropology v.14 n.3 2017 reponame:Vibrant instname:Associação Brasileira de Antropologia instacron:ABA |
instname_str |
Associação Brasileira de Antropologia |
instacron_str |
ABA |
institution |
ABA |
reponame_str |
Vibrant |
collection |
Vibrant |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Vibrant - Associação Brasileira de Antropologia |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
vibrant.aba@gmail.com |
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1754302960895000576 |