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Related Experiment Videos

Life after Newton: an ecological metaphysic.

R E Ulanowicz1

  • 1University of Maryland System, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons 20688-0038, USA. ulan@cbl.umces.edu

Bio Systems
|June 15, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Ecology

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Systems Theory

Background:

  • Ecological understanding is often hindered by a conflict with the principles of the modern synthesis.
  • Key disagreements exist between Newtonian mechanics and the organicist/stochastic models used in ecosystems science.
  • The concept of causal closure in a mechanical worldview limits evolutionary epistemology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the philosophical underpinnings of ecological science.
  • To re-evaluate the compatibility of Newtonian physics with ecological processes.
  • To propose a revised framework for understanding ecological causality and change.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of scientific worldviews (Newtonian vs. organicist/stochastic).
  • Philosophical examination of causality, force, and contingency in nature.
  • Conceptual reformulation of scientific laws for ecological application.

Main Results:

  • Newtonian axioms present significant discord with ecological principles, particularly concerning causality and scale.
  • Karl Popper's concept of 'propensity' offers a way to generalize Newtonian 'force' for evolutionary and ecological contexts.
  • A revised framework, incorporating internal system dynamics, better accommodates ecological change.

Conclusions:

  • Traditional Newtonian axioms, particularly those from the Enlightenment, are ill-suited for modern ecology.
  • A new set of assumptions is needed to coherently describe natural processes in ecology.
  • Generalizing Newtonian laws with concepts like 'propensity' can create a more robust ecological metaphysic.

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