Ebook: Trees of Life: Essays in Philosophy of Biology

Australia and New Zealand boast an active community of scholars working in the field of history, philosophy and social studies of science. • Australasian Studies in History and Philosophy of Science' aims to provide a distinctive publication outlet for their work. Each volume comprises a group of essays on a connected theme, edited by an Australian or a New Zealander with special expertise in that particular area .. In each volume, a majority of the contributors is from Australia or New Zealand. O;mtributions from elsewhere are by no means ruled out, however, and are indeed actively encouraged wherever appropriate to the balance of the volume in question. Earlier volumes in the series have been welcomed for significantly advancing the discussion of the topics they have dealt with. The present volume will I believe be greeted equally enthusiastically by readers in many parts of the world. R. W. Home General Editor Australasian Studies in History and Philosophy of Science TABLE OF CONTENTS v FOREWORD PAUL GRIFFITHS / Introduction 1 SECTION ONE: BEYOND NATURAL SELECTION ELLIOTI SOBER / Models of Cultural Evolution 17 KIM STERELNY / Punctuated Equilibrium and Macroevolution 41 ROBIN CRAW / Margins of Cladistics: Identity, Difference and Place in the Emergence of Phylogenetic Systematics 1864-1975 65 SECTION TWO: CENTRAL CONCEPTS OF EVOLUTIONARY THEORY PAUL GRIFFITHS / Adaptive Explanation and the Concept of a Vestige 111 TIMOTHY SHANAHAN / Selection, Drift and the Aims of Evolutionary Theory 133 SECTION THREE: THE DEVELOPMENTAL SYSTEMS APPROACH

---

This volume contains papers presented by New Zealand and American philosophers of biology during a recent visit to New Zealand by Elliott Sober. Some of the papers reveal a unique local perspective on current debates. Robin Craw's highly original contribution to the `evolutionary' philosophy of science initiated by David Hull, applies to intellectual evolution the strongly biogeographic approach to the evolution of life that is a recognised New Zealand speciality. Other papers reflect past intellectual exchange between the two countries. Susan Oyama and Russell Gray's papers on the `developmental systems' approach to evolution, for example, are the outcome of several years of fruitful exchange. The remaining papers in the volume cover a wide range of topics. In addition to Sober's own discussion of post-sociobiological treatments of cultural evolution the volume includes Kim Sterelny's evaluation of `macroevolution', Paul Griffiths' analysis of adaptation and vestigiality, John Morss on the notion of ontogeny and Timothy Shanahan on the concept of drift.

---

This volume contains papers presented by New Zealand and American philosophers of biology during a recent visit to New Zealand by Elliott Sober. Some of the papers reveal a unique local perspective on current debates. Robin Craw's highly original contribution to the `evolutionary' philosophy of science initiated by David Hull, applies to intellectual evolution the strongly biogeographic approach to the evolution of life that is a recognised New Zealand speciality. Other papers reflect past intellectual exchange between the two countries. Susan Oyama and Russell Gray's papers on the `developmental systems' approach to evolution, for example, are the outcome of several years of fruitful exchange. The remaining papers in the volume cover a wide range of topics. In addition to Sober's own discussion of post-sociobiological treatments of cultural evolution the volume includes Kim Sterelny's evaluation of `macroevolution', Paul Griffiths' analysis of adaptation and vestigiality, John Morss on the notion of ontogeny and Timothy Shanahan on the concept of drift.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-vii
Introduction....Pages 1-13
Front Matter....Pages 15-15
Models of Cultural Evolution....Pages 17-39
Punctuated Equilibrium and Macroevolution....Pages 41-63
Margins of Cladistics: Identity, Difference and Place in the Emergence of Phylogenetic Systematics 1864 – 1975....Pages 65-107
Front Matter....Pages 109-109
Adaptive Explanation and the Concept of a Vestige....Pages 111-131
Selection, Drift, and the Aims of Evolutionary Theory....Pages 133-161
Front Matter....Pages 163-163
Death of the Gene: Developmental Systems Strike Back....Pages 165-209
Ontogeny and Phylogeny; a Case of Metarecapitulation?....Pages 211-239
Against Ontogeny....Pages 241-269
Back Matter....Pages 271-277

---

This volume contains papers presented by New Zealand and American philosophers of biology during a recent visit to New Zealand by Elliott Sober. Some of the papers reveal a unique local perspective on current debates. Robin Craw's highly original contribution to the `evolutionary' philosophy of science initiated by David Hull, applies to intellectual evolution the strongly biogeographic approach to the evolution of life that is a recognised New Zealand speciality. Other papers reflect past intellectual exchange between the two countries. Susan Oyama and Russell Gray's papers on the `developmental systems' approach to evolution, for example, are the outcome of several years of fruitful exchange. The remaining papers in the volume cover a wide range of topics. In addition to Sober's own discussion of post-sociobiological treatments of cultural evolution the volume includes Kim Sterelny's evaluation of `macroevolution', Paul Griffiths' analysis of adaptation and vestigiality, John Morss on the notion of ontogeny and Timothy Shanahan on the concept of drift.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-vii
Introduction....Pages 1-13
Front Matter....Pages 15-15
Models of Cultural Evolution....Pages 17-39
Punctuated Equilibrium and Macroevolution....Pages 41-63
Margins of Cladistics: Identity, Difference and Place in the Emergence of Phylogenetic Systematics 1864 – 1975....Pages 65-107
Front Matter....Pages 109-109
Adaptive Explanation and the Concept of a Vestige....Pages 111-131
Selection, Drift, and the Aims of Evolutionary Theory....Pages 133-161
Front Matter....Pages 163-163
Death of the Gene: Developmental Systems Strike Back....Pages 165-209
Ontogeny and Phylogeny; a Case of Metarecapitulation?....Pages 211-239
Against Ontogeny....Pages 241-269
Back Matter....Pages 271-277
....