Desmond, Hugh (2021) The Selectionist Rationale for Evolutionary Progress. [Preprint]

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Abstract

The dominant view today on evolutionary progress is that it has been thoroughly debunked. Even value-neutral progress concepts are seen to lack important theoretical underpinnings: (1) natural selection provides no rationale for progress, and (2) natural selection need not even be invoked to explain large-scale evolutionary trends. In this paper I challenge this view by analysing how natural selection acts in heterogeneous environments. This not only undermines key debunking arguments, but also provides a selectionist rationale for a pattern of “evolutionary unfolding”, where life radiates across an increased range of exploitation of environmental heterogeneity.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Desmond, Hugh hugh.desmond@uantwerpen.be 0000-0002-4822-923X
Keywords:	Evolutionary Progress; Natural Selection; Laws; Evolutionary Contingency; Environmental Heterogeneity
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology > Ecology/Conservation Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory Specific Sciences > Biology > Function/Teleology General Issues > Laws of Nature
Depositing User:	Prof. Dr. Hugh Desmond
Date Deposited:	21 May 2021 03:00
Last Modified:	21 May 2021 03:00
Item ID:	19076
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology > Ecology/Conservation Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory Specific Sciences > Biology > Function/Teleology General Issues > Laws of Nature
Date:	10 May 2021
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/19076

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