Bauer, Mark (2015) Normative Characterization in Biological and Cognitive Explanations. THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, 30 (2). pp. 271-286. ISSN 2171-679X

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Abstract

Normative characterization is a commonplace feature of biological and cognitive explanation. Such lan- guage seems to commit the biological and cognitive sciences to the existence of natural norms, but it is also difficult to understand how such normativity fits into a natural world of physical causes and forces. I propose to map normativity onto systems stabilized by counteractive constraints. Such a mapping, I believe, can explain normativity’s causal-explanatory role in biological and cognitive inquiry. The common approach in the literature is to derive an account of natural normativity by way of a particular theory of function. I avoid that approach here and attempt to address directly the sort of physical systems that might satisfy naturalizing criteria for normativity. This has the advantages, I think, of allowing an account of normativity without first having to decide the correct theory of function as well as allowing for the theoretical possibility that normative and functional explanation might come apart within empirical explanation.

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Item Type:	Published Article or Volume
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Bauer, Mark mark.bauer@ucdenver.edu
Additional Information:	ISSN: 0495-4548 (print)
Keywords:	natural normativity; biological norm; cognitive norm; function; biological explanation
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science General Issues > Explanation
Depositing User:	Unnamed user with email theoria@ehu.es
Date Deposited:	07 Jun 2016 13:06
Last Modified:	07 Jun 2016 13:06
Item ID:	12150
Journal or Publication Title:	THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science
Publisher:	Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea / Universidad del País Vasco
Official URL:	http://www.ehu.eus/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/v...
DOI or Unique Handle:	10.1387/theoria.11957
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science General Issues > Explanation
Date:	May 2015
Page Range:	pp. 271-286
Volume:	30
Number:	2
ISSN:	2171-679X
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12150

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