Abstract

THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF REGULATIVE IDEAS (KANT) FOR BIOLOGY. HE ARGUES THAT THE PRINCIPLES OF TELEOLOGY AND OF CAUSALITY DO NOT COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER, BUT ARE RELEVANT FOR DIFFERENT REGIONS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. A COMPARISON OF M EIGEN’S THEORY OF SELF-ORGANIZATION WITH THE TRADITIONAL THEORY OF EVOLUTION REVEALS THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS OF THE LATTER SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD AT REGULATIVE IDEAS OF THE NATURAL HISTORIOGRAPHY OF LIFE, NOT AS EMPIRICAL CLAIMS