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Discussion: Three Ways to Misunderstand Developmental Systems Theory

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Abstract

Developmental systems theory (DST) is a general theoretical perspective on development, heredity and evolution. It is intended to facilitate the study of interactions between the many factors that influence development without reviving `dichotomous' debates over nature or nurture, gene or environment, biology or culture. Several recent papers have addressed the relationship between DST and the thriving new discipline of evolutionary developmental biology (EDB). The contributions to this literature by evolutionary developmental biologists contain three important misunderstandings of DST.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, USA

    Paul E. Griffiths

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand

    Russell D. Gray

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  1. Paul E. Griffiths
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  2. Russell D. Gray
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Correspondence to Paul E. Griffiths.

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Griffiths, P., Gray, R. Discussion: Three Ways to Misunderstand Developmental Systems Theory. Biol Philos 20, 417–425 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-004-0758-1

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