Philosophy of Science 37 (1):1-15 (1970)
| Abstract |
The ultimate source of explanation in biology is the principle of natural selection. Natural selection means differential reproduction of genes and gene combinations. It is a mechanistic process which accounts for the existence in living organisms of end-directed structures and processes. It is argued that teleological explanations in biology are not only acceptable but indeed indispensable. There are at least three categories of biological phenomena where teleological explanations are appropriate
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| Keywords | Biology Explanation Teleology Philosophy of Science |
| Categories | (categorize this paper) |
| DOI | 10.1086/288276 |
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Categories, Life, and Thinking.Michael T. Ghiselin - 1981 - Behavioral and Brain Sciences 4 (2):269-283.
What Makes Biological Organisation Teleological?Matteo Mossio & Leonardo Bich - 2017 - Synthese 194 (4):1089-1114.
Function Without Purpose.Ron Amundson & George V. Lauder - 1994 - Biology and Philosophy 9 (4):443-469.
Teleological Theories of Mental Content.Peter Schulte & Karen Neander - 2022 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
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