PhilSci Archive

What is Innateness?

Griffiths, Paul E. (2001) What is Innateness? [Preprint]

[img]
Preview
PDF
What_is_innateness.pdf

Download (47kB)

Abstract

In behavioral ecology some authors regard the innateness concept as irretrievably confused whilst others take it to refer to adaptations. In cognitive psychology, however, whether traits are 'innate' is regarded as a significant question and is often the subject of heated debate. Several philosophers have tried to define innateness with the intention of making sense of its use in cognitive psychology. In contrast, I argue that the concept is irretrievably confused. The vernacular innateness concept represents a key aspect of 'folkbiology', namely, the explanatory strategy that psychologists and cognitive anthropologists have labeled 'folk essentialism'. Folk essentialism is inimical to Darwinism, and both Darwin and the founders of the modern synthesis struggled to overcome this way of thinking about living systems. Because the vernacular concept of innateness is part of folkbiology, attempts to define it more adequately are unlikely to succeed, making it preferable to introduce new, neutral terms for the various, related notions that are needed to understand cognitive development.


Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |

Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Griffiths, Paul E.
Keywords: innateness folkbiology nativism instinct human nature essentialism typological thinking population thinking canalisation
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Anthropology
Specific Sciences > Biology > Developmental Biology
Specific Sciences > Psychology > Evolutionary Psychology
Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
Specific Sciences > Psychology
Depositing User: Professor Paul Edmund Griffiths
Date Deposited: 01 Feb 2001
Last Modified: 07 Oct 2010 15:10
Item ID: 108
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Anthropology
Specific Sciences > Biology > Developmental Biology
Specific Sciences > Psychology > Evolutionary Psychology
Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
Specific Sciences > Psychology
Date: January 2001
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/108

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item