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Published on: February 3, 2023
Chance, explanation, and causation in evolutionary theory
1Université Paris 1-Panthéon Sorbonne, Institut d'histoire et de philosophie des sciences et des techniques, 13, rue du Four, 75005 Paris, France.
Abstract:
Chance comes into plays at many levels of the explanation of the evolutionary process; but the unity of sense of this category is problematic. The purpose of this talk is to clarify the meaning of chance at various levels in evolutionary theory: mutations, genetic drift, genetic revolutions, ecosystems, macroevolution. Three main concepts of chance are found at these various levels: luck (popular concept), randomness (probabilistic concept), and contingency relative to a given theoretical system (epistemological concept). After identifying which concept(s) of chance fit(s) with these levels, the question is raised whether these concepts can be reduced to a smaller number, and whether chance in evolutionary theory has a subjective or an objective sense.
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