On Fodor on Darwin on Evolution
Neural and Evolutionary Computing
2009-09-30 v1 Machine Learning
Abstract
Jerry Fodor argues that Darwin was wrong about "natural selection" because (1) it is only a tautology rather than a scientific law that can support counterfactuals ("If X had happened, Y would have happened") and because (2) only minds can select. Hence Darwin's analogy with "artificial selection" by animal breeders was misleading and evolutionary explanation is nothing but post-hoc historical narrative. I argue that Darwin was right on all counts.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0904.1888,
title = {On Fodor on Darwin on Evolution},
author = {Stevan Harnad},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0904.1888},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
21