What’s Wrong with Evolutionary Causation?

• Published in: Acta biotheoretica Vol. 69; no. 1; pp. 79 - 89
• Main Author: Baedke, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-03-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adaptation, Biological; Animals; Biological Evolution; Causality; Education; Evolution; Evolutionary Biology; Humans; Philosophy; Philosophy of Biology; Review Paper; Selection, Genetic; Evolutionary causation; Agency; Kuhn; Individuality; Popper; Environment; Lakatos
• ISSN: 0001-5342; 1572-8358
• DOI: 10.1007/s10441-020-09381-0

This review essay reflects on recent discussions in evolutionary biology and philosophy of science on the central causes of evolution and the structure of causal explanations in evolutionary theory. In this debate, it has been argued that our view of evolutionary causation should be rethought by including more seriously developmental causes and causes of the individual acting organism. I use Tobias Uller’s and Kevin Laland’s volume
Evolutionary Causation
as well as recent reviews of it as a starting point to reflect on the causal role of agency, individuality, and the environment in evolution. In addition, I critically discuss classical philosophical frameworks of theory change (i.e. Popper’s, Kuhn’s and Lakatos’) used in this debate to understand changing views of evolutionary causation.