THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2015 |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | por |
Título da fonte: | Manuscrito (Online) |
Texto Completo: | https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8641957 |
Resumo: | In this essay I will argue that natural selection is more important to functional explanations than it has been normally thought in some of the literature in philosophy of biology. I start by giving a brief overview of the two paradigms cases of functional explanations: etiological functions and causal-role functions. I then consider one particular attempt to conciliate both perspectives given by David Buller (1998). Buller’s trial to conciliate both etiological functions and causal-role functions results in what he calls a weak etiological theory. I argue that Buller has not succeeded in his construal of the weak etiological theory: he underestimates the role that selective processes have in functional explanations and so his theory may not be classified as an etiologial theory. As an alternative, I consider the account of etiological functions given by Ruth Millikan (1984) and I argue that Millikan’s theory is more comprehensive to assess contentious case in biology like exaptations. Finally, I conclude by analyzing where the adoption of Millikan’s theory leave us. I argue, contrary to Millikan and others, that once we assume the importance of natural selection in functional explanations, there is no strong reason to resist a linguistic reform of the word function and hence that the attempts to conciliate both etiological functions and causal-role functions are misplaced. |
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THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONSNatural selection. Functional explanations. Etiological theoriesIn this essay I will argue that natural selection is more important to functional explanations than it has been normally thought in some of the literature in philosophy of biology. I start by giving a brief overview of the two paradigms cases of functional explanations: etiological functions and causal-role functions. I then consider one particular attempt to conciliate both perspectives given by David Buller (1998). Buller’s trial to conciliate both etiological functions and causal-role functions results in what he calls a weak etiological theory. I argue that Buller has not succeeded in his construal of the weak etiological theory: he underestimates the role that selective processes have in functional explanations and so his theory may not be classified as an etiologial theory. As an alternative, I consider the account of etiological functions given by Ruth Millikan (1984) and I argue that Millikan’s theory is more comprehensive to assess contentious case in biology like exaptations. Finally, I conclude by analyzing where the adoption of Millikan’s theory leave us. I argue, contrary to Millikan and others, that once we assume the importance of natural selection in functional explanations, there is no strong reason to resist a linguistic reform of the word function and hence that the attempts to conciliate both etiological functions and causal-role functions are misplaced.Universidade Estadual de Campinas2015-11-29info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8641957Manuscrito: Revista Internacional de Filosofia; v. 37 n. 2 (2014): Jul./Dec.; 227-267Manuscrito: International Journal of Philosophy; Vol. 37 No. 2 (2014): Jul./Dec.; 227-267Manuscrito: Revista Internacional de Filosofía; Vol. 37 Núm. 2 (2014): Jul./Dec.; 227-2672317-630Xreponame:Manuscrito (Online)instname:Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)instacron:UNICAMPporhttps://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8641957/9454Copyright (c) 2015 Manuscritoinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessSant’Anna, André Rosolem2015-11-29T22:54:21Zoai:ojs.periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br:article/8641957Revistahttps://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscritoPUBhttps://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/oaimwrigley@cle.unicamp.br|| dascal@spinoza.tau.ac.il||publicacoes@cle.unicamp.br2317-630X0100-6045opendoar:2015-11-29T22:54:21Manuscrito (Online) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)false |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS |
title |
THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS |
spellingShingle |
THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS Sant’Anna, André Rosolem Natural selection. Functional explanations. Etiological theories |
title_short |
THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS |
title_full |
THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS |
title_fullStr |
THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS |
title_full_unstemmed |
THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS |
title_sort |
THE ROLE OF SELECTION IN FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS |
author |
Sant’Anna, André Rosolem |
author_facet |
Sant’Anna, André Rosolem |
author_role |
author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Sant’Anna, André Rosolem |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Natural selection. Functional explanations. Etiological theories |
topic |
Natural selection. Functional explanations. Etiological theories |
description |
In this essay I will argue that natural selection is more important to functional explanations than it has been normally thought in some of the literature in philosophy of biology. I start by giving a brief overview of the two paradigms cases of functional explanations: etiological functions and causal-role functions. I then consider one particular attempt to conciliate both perspectives given by David Buller (1998). Buller’s trial to conciliate both etiological functions and causal-role functions results in what he calls a weak etiological theory. I argue that Buller has not succeeded in his construal of the weak etiological theory: he underestimates the role that selective processes have in functional explanations and so his theory may not be classified as an etiologial theory. As an alternative, I consider the account of etiological functions given by Ruth Millikan (1984) and I argue that Millikan’s theory is more comprehensive to assess contentious case in biology like exaptations. Finally, I conclude by analyzing where the adoption of Millikan’s theory leave us. I argue, contrary to Millikan and others, that once we assume the importance of natural selection in functional explanations, there is no strong reason to resist a linguistic reform of the word function and hence that the attempts to conciliate both etiological functions and causal-role functions are misplaced. |
publishDate |
2015 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2015-11-29 |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8641957 |
url |
https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8641957 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
por |
language |
por |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8641957/9454 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2015 Manuscrito info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
rights_invalid_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2015 Manuscrito |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Universidade Estadual de Campinas |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Universidade Estadual de Campinas |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Manuscrito: Revista Internacional de Filosofia; v. 37 n. 2 (2014): Jul./Dec.; 227-267 Manuscrito: International Journal of Philosophy; Vol. 37 No. 2 (2014): Jul./Dec.; 227-267 Manuscrito: Revista Internacional de Filosofía; Vol. 37 Núm. 2 (2014): Jul./Dec.; 227-267 2317-630X reponame:Manuscrito (Online) instname:Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) instacron:UNICAMP |
instname_str |
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) |
instacron_str |
UNICAMP |
institution |
UNICAMP |
reponame_str |
Manuscrito (Online) |
collection |
Manuscrito (Online) |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Manuscrito (Online) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
mwrigley@cle.unicamp.br|| dascal@spinoza.tau.ac.il||publicacoes@cle.unicamp.br |
_version_ |
1800216565221687296 |