Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T19:35:03.440Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Of Mice and Metaphysics: Natural Selection and Realized Population-Level Properties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Matthew C. Haug
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this paper, I answer a fundamental question facing any view according to which natural selection is a population-level causal process—namely, how is the causal process of natural selection related to, yet not preempted by, causal processes that occur at the level of individual organisms? Without an answer to this grounding question, the population-level causal view appears unstable—collapsing into either an individual-level causal interpretation or the claim that selection is a purely formal, statistical phenomenon. I argue that a causal account of realization provides an answer to the grounding question. By applying this account of realization to the natural selection of melanism in rock pocket mice, I show how an alternative, formal account of realization, favored by proponents of the statistical interpretation, misses biologically important features. More generally, this paper shows how metaphysical issues about realization normally discussed in the philosophy of mind apply to debates in philosophy of biology. Thus, it is a first step toward fleshing out the oft-noted similarities between debates in these areas.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 74 , Issue 4 , October 2007 , pp. 431 - 451
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.)

Footnotes

‡

Previous versions of this paper were presented at the Cornell Philosophy Department Workshop, Brandeis University, the University of Iowa, Southern Methodist University, the College of William and Mary, and the 2006 Central Division APA meeting. Thanks to the members of those audiences for their comments and questions and especially to Robert Skipper, my commentator at the APA. I am also grateful to Richard Boyd, André Ariew, Mohan Matthen, Eric Swanson, and two anonymous referees for helpful conversations, comments, and/or correspondence. This material is based upon work supported under a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

References

Bouchard, Frédéric, and Rosenberg, Alex (2004), “Fitness, Probability and the Principles of Natural Selection”, Fitness, Probability and the Principles of Natural Selection 55:693–712.Google Scholar
Brandon, Robert, and Beatty, John (1984), “The Propensity Interpretation of ‘Fitness’—No Interpretation Is No Substitute”, The Propensity Interpretation of ‘Fitness’—No Interpretation Is No Substitute 51:342–347.Google Scholar
Fodor, Jerry (1997), “Special Sciences: Still Autonomous after All These Years”, Special Sciences: Still Autonomous after All These Years 11:149–163.Google Scholar
Futuyma, Douglas J. (1986), Evolutionary Biology. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.Google ScholarPubMed
Gillett, Carl (2002), “The Dimensions of Realization: A Critique of the Standard View”, The Dimensions of Realization: A Critique of the Standard View 62:316–323.Google Scholar
Glymour, Bruce (1999), “Population Level Causation and a Unified Theory of Natural Selection”, Population Level Causation and a Unified Theory of Natural Selection 14:521–536.Google Scholar
Hall, Ned (2004), “Two Concepts of Causation”, in Collins, John, Hall, Ned, and Paul, L. A. (eds.), Causation and Counterfactuals. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 225–276.Google Scholar
Hoekstra, Hopi E., Drumm, Kristen E., and Nachman, Michael W. (2004), “Ecological Genetics of Adaptive Color Polymorphism in Pocket Mice: Geographic Variation in Selected and Neutral Genes”, Ecological Genetics of Adaptive Color Polymorphism in Pocket Mice: Geographic Variation in Selected and Neutral Genes 58:1329–1341.Google ScholarPubMed
Hoekstra, H. E., Krenz, J. G., and Nachman, M. W. (2005), “Local Adaptation in the Rock Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus intermedius): Natural Selection and Phylogenetic History of Populations”, Local Adaptation in the Rock Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus intermedius): Natural Selection and Phylogenetic History of Populations 94:217–228.Google ScholarPubMed
Hoekstra, H. E., and Nachman, M. W. (2003), “Different Genes Underlie Adaptive Melanism in Different Populations of Rock Pocket Mice”, Different Genes Underlie Adaptive Melanism in Different Populations of Rock Pocket Mice 12:1185–1194.Google ScholarPubMed
Horgan, Terence (1993), “From Supervenience to Superdupervenience”, From Supervenience to Superdupervenience 102:555–586.Google Scholar
Hull, David L., Langman, Rodney E., and Glenn, Sigrid S. (2001), “A General Account of Selection: Biology, Immunology, and Behavior”, A General Account of Selection: Biology, Immunology, and Behavior 24:511–573.Google ScholarPubMed
Kim, Jaegwon (1989), “Mechanism, Purpose and Explanatory Exclusion”, Mechanism, Purpose and Explanatory Exclusion 3:77–108.Google Scholar
Kim, Jaegwon (1998), Mind in a Physical World. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.CrossRefGoogle 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 99:55–83.Google Scholar
Millstein, Roberta L. (2006), “Natural Selection as a Population-Level Causal Process”, Natural Selection as a Population-Level Causal Process 57:627–653.Google Scholar
Nachman, Michael W., Hoekstra, Hopi E., and D’Agostino, Susan L. (2003), “The Genetic Basis of Adaptive Melanism in Pocket Mice”, The Genetic Basis of Adaptive Melanism in Pocket Mice 100:5268–5273.Google ScholarPubMed
Reisman, Ken, and Forber, Patrick (2005), “Manipulation and the Causes of Evolution”, Manipulation and the Causes of Evolution 72:1113–1123.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, Alex, and Bouchard, Frederic (2005), “Matthen and Ariew’s Obituary for Fitness: Reports of Its Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated”, Matthen and Ariew’s Obituary for Fitness: Reports of Its Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated 20:343–353.Google Scholar
Schaffer, Jonathan (2003), “Overdetermining Causes”, Overdetermining Causes 114:23–45.Google Scholar
Shapiro, Larry, and Sober, Elliott (forthcoming), “Epiphenomenalism—the Do’s and the Don’ts”, in Wolters, G. and Machamer, P. (eds), Studies in Causality: Historical and Contemporary. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.Google Scholar
Shoemaker, Sydney (2003), “Realization, Micro-realization, and Coincidence”, Realization, Micro-realization, and Coincidence 67:1–22.Google Scholar
Sklar, Lawrence (1999), “The Reduction(?) of Thermodynamics to Statistical Mechanics”, The Reduction(?) of Thermodynamics to Statistical Mechanics 95:198–202.Google Scholar
Sober, Elliott (1984), The Nature of Selection. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.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, D. M. (2000), “Chasing Shadows: Natural Selection and Adaptation”, Chasing Shadows: Natural Selection and Adaptation 31:135–153.Google Scholar
Walsh, D. M. (2004) “Bookkeeping or Metaphysics? The Units of Selection Debate”, Bookkeeping or Metaphysics? The Units of Selection Debate 138:337–361.Google Scholar
Walsh, D. M., Lewens, Tim, and Ariew, André (2002), “The Trials of Life: Natural Selection and Random Drift”, The Trials of Life: Natural Selection and Random Drift 69:452–473.Google Scholar
Wilson, Jessica (2005), “Supervenience-Based Formulations of Physicalism”, Supervenience-Based Formulations of Physicalism 39:426–459.Google Scholar
Yablo, Steven (1992), “Mental Causation”, Mental Causation 101:245–280.Google Scholar