Scientific methodology and evolutionary biology
My aIm In this thesis is to analyse the 'evolutionary analogy', a particular form. of evolutionary epistemology which claims that scientific change is governed by the same mechanisms, or by mechanisms analogous to those at work in organic evolution, mainly natural selection. In tenns of research questions, the overall aim of this thesis is to answer 'Is the process of scientific change analogous to or even the same as organic change?' Many philosophers proposed evolutionary theories of scientific change - evolutionary analogies. By drawing analogies or even equating the mechanisms of organic and scientific evolution they described the process underlying the latter but also justified its value, implicitly or explicitly, by a simple analogy: better theories are those which survive old ones, as better species are those which survive previous ones. The results of these philosophers, however, have not been satisfactory and a novel approach is needed. In this thesis I am interested in a purely descriptive philosophy of science and my position will be based on the critique of the most recent and comprehensive attempt to defend the evolutionary analogy, made by David Hull. In order to answer the research question
Renzi, Barbara Gabriella
Scientific methodology and evolutionary biology. My aIm In this thesis is to analyse the 'evolutionary analogy', a particular form. of evolutionary epistemology which claims that scientific change is governed by the same mechanisms, or by mechanisms analogous to those at work in organic evolution, mainly natural selection. In tenns of research questions, the overall aim of this thesis is to answer 'Is the process of scientific change analogous to or even the same as organic change?' Many philosophers proposed evolutionary theories of scientific change - evolutionary analogies. By drawing analogies or even equating the mechanisms of organic and scientific evolution they described the process underlying the latter but also justified its value, implicitly or explicitly, by a simple analogy: better theories are those which survive old ones, as better species are those which survive previous ones. The results of these philosophers, however, have not been satisfactory and a novel approach is needed. In this thesis I am interested in a purely descriptive philosophy of science and my position will be based on the critique of the most recent and comprehensive attempt to defend the evolutionary analogy, made by David Hull. In order to answer the research question
scientific evolutionary_biology aim_analyse evolutionary analogy particular_form evolutionary epistemology claim scientific change govern mechanism mechanism analogous work organic evolution mainly natural_selection question overall_aim answer process scientific change analogous even organic change many_philosopher propose evolutionary_theory scientific change evolutionary analogy draw analogy even equate mechanism organic scientific evolution describe process underlying latter also justify value implicitly explicitly simple analogy good theory survive old good specie survive previous philosopher however satisfactory novel need interested purely descriptive philosophy_science position base critique recent comprehensive attempt defend evolutionary analogy make hull order_answer_question