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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 14, 2026

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

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Published on: May 7, 2014

Can functionality in evolving networks be explained reductively?

¹Department of Philosophy, Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Münster, Domplatz 6, 48143 Münster, Germany.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

|April 23, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study examines how biological functions are described in evolving networks research. It finds that structure-function relationships are variable, challenging reductionist explanations in evolutionary biology.

Keywords:

Design principle Function Gene regulatory network Irreducibility Multiplicity Neural network

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Area of Science:

Philosophy of Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Systems Biology

Background:

Philosophers of biology debate the concept of biological function.
Existing debates often focus on abstract, 'in principle' arguments.
Research on evolving networks offers empirical case studies for this debate.

Purpose of the Study:

Reconstruct the use of functional language in biological research papers by Marom and Braun.
Analyze the ontological consequences drawn by these authors from their findings.
Critically evaluate the epistemic legitimacy of arguments against reductionism based on these case studies.

Main Methods:

Analysis of research on evolving neural networks (Marom) controlling Braitenberg vehicles.
Examination of evolutionary rewiring of genetic networks in yeast (Braun).
Focus on parameters defined in functional terms within these studies.

Main Results:

Both studies reveal significant variability: different structures realize the same function, and identical structures perform different functions.
Marom and Braun use these findings to argue against reductionism.
The paper critically assesses the concepts underpinning this anti-reductionist argument.

Conclusions:

The empirical findings from evolving networks research present a challenge to reductionist accounts of biological function.
The paper questions the epistemic validity of inferring anti-reductionist conclusions from these specific case studies.
A deeper conceptual analysis is needed to adequately explicate biological function.