Weber, Marcel (2018) Causal Specificity, Biological Possibility and Non-parity about Genetic Causes. In: UNSPECIFIED.
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Abstract
Several authors have used the notion of causal specificity in order to defend non-parity about genetic causes (Waters 2007, Woodward 2010, Weber 2017, forthcoming). Non-parity in this context is the idea that DNA and some other biomolecules that are often described as information-bearers by biologists play a unique role in life processes, an idea that has been challenged by Developmental Systems Theory (e.g., Oyama 2000). Indeed, it has proven to be quite difficult to state clearly what the alleged special role of genetic causes consists in. In this paper, I show that the set of biomolecules that are normally considered to be information-bearers (DNA, mRNA) can be shown to be the most specific causes of protein primary structure, provided that causal specificity is measured over a relevant space of biological possibilities, disregarding physical as well as logically possible states of the causal variables.
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| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED) | ||||||
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| Keywords: | Causal specificity, causal parity, biological possibility, explanation in biology | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics |
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| Depositing User: | Prof. Marcel Weber | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 02 Nov 2018 01:12 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 02 Nov 2018 01:12 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 15235 | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics |
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| Date: | 2018 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/15235 |
Available Versions of this Item
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Causal Specificity, Biological Possibility and Non-parity about Genetic Causes. (deposited 02 Oct 2018 13:48)
- Causal Specificity, Biological Possibility and Non-parity about Genetic Causes. (deposited 02 Nov 2018 01:12) [Currently Displayed]
- Causal Specificity, Biological Possibility and Non-parity about Genetic Causes. (deposited 30 Oct 2018 13:19)
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