Pfeifer, Jessica (2004) Why Selection and Drift Might be Distinct. In: UNSPECIFIED. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

In this paper, it is argued that selection and drift might be distinct. This contradicts recent arguments by Brandon (forthcoming) and Matthen and Ariew (2002) that such a distinction “violates sound probabilistic thinking” (Matthen and Ariew 2002, 62). While their arguments might be valid under certain assumptions, they overlook a possible way to make sense of the distinction. Whether this distinction makes sense, I argue, depends on the source of probabilities in natural selection. In particular, if the probabilities used in defining fitness values are at least partly a result of abstracting from or ignoring certain features of the environment, then selection and drift might in fact be causally distinct.

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Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Pfeifer, Jessica
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory
Depositing User:	Jessica Pfeifer
Date Deposited:	03 Nov 2004
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2010 15:13
Item ID:	2046
Public Domain:	No
Conference Date:	November 18-20, 2004
Conference Location:	Austin, TX
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory
Date:	2004
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/2046

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