Donhauser, Justin (2023) Five lessons from teleology-neutrality and metaphor in ecology: Bottom-up and top-down all at once. [Preprint]

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Abstract

This paper illuminates primary epistemic functions of teleological characterizations in ecology through discussion of the historical and conceptual origins of the theoretical branch of ecology (§§1-2). I subsequently defuse enduring confusions about the use of teleological characterizations in ecology; with a focus on recent critical arguments by Sagoff in this journal (2016) and some other places (e.g., his 2013 and 2017) (§3). The paper then culminates by collecting five generalizable novel insights attained through the forgoing discussion and outlining avenues for follow-up work that can build on the arguments laid out in this paper (§4).

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Donhauser, Justin jdonhau@bgsu.edu
Additional Information:	Forthcoming in SYNTHESE
Keywords:	teleology; goal-directedness; top-down causation; philosophy of ecology
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Explanation Specific Sciences > Biology > Ecology/Conservation Specific Sciences > Biology > Function/Teleology General Issues > Causation Specific Sciences > Mathematics General Issues > Models and Idealization
Depositing User:	Justin Donhauser
Date Deposited:	04 Feb 2023 14:51
Last Modified:	04 Feb 2023 14:51
Item ID:	21715
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Explanation Specific Sciences > Biology > Ecology/Conservation Specific Sciences > Biology > Function/Teleology General Issues > Causation Specific Sciences > Mathematics General Issues > Models and Idealization
Date:	2023
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/21715

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