Biology & Philosophy
pp 1–17
What’s wrong with evolutionary biology?
Authors
Authors and affiliations
John J. Welch1
Email author
1.Department of Genetics University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
Open AccessArticle
First Online: 20 December 2016
Cite this article as:
Welch, J.J. Biol Philos (2016). doi:10.1007/s10539-016-9557-8
Source/Fonte: New Scientist
Abstract
There have been periodic claims that evolutionary biology needs urgent reform, and this article tries to account for the volume and persistence of this discontent. It is argued that a few inescapable properties of the field make it prone to criticisms of predictable kinds, whether or not the criticisms have any merit. For example, the variety of living things and the complexity of evolution make it easy to generate data that seem revolutionary (e.g. exceptions to well-established generalizations, or neglected factors in evolution), and lead to disappointment with existing explanatory frameworks (with their high levels of abstraction, and limited predictive power). It is then argued that special discontent stems from misunderstandings and dislike of one well-known but atypical research programme: the study of adaptive function, in the tradition of behavioural ecology. To achieve its goals, this research needs distinct tools, often including imaginary agency, and a partial description of the evolutionary process. This invites mistaken charges of narrowness and oversimplification (which come, not least, from researchers in other subfields), and these chime with anxieties about human agency and overall purpose. The article ends by discussing several ways in which calls to reform evolutionary biology actively hinder progress in the field.
Keywords: Adaptation Extended evolutionary synthesis Neo-Darwinism Inclusive fitness
I’ve been wondering why so many evolutionary biologists are unimpressed by my idea… and I think the problem goes back to Newton (advocate of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis)
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