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Conceptual Issues in Ecology pp 323–343Cite as

Why Misunderstand the Evolutionary Half of Biology?

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Abstract

Deductive justification is important in the evolutionary half of biology. I exemplify this for intrapopulational competition and natural selection, density-dependent regulation of population density, interspecific competition, competitive exclusion, sympatric convergence, regulation of trophic levels, phylogeny construction, and patch selection. I discuss various misinterpretations of deduction. Factors regulating density have a different significance from the controlling factors which modify them. I discuss common ways of misusing null hypotheses. Results merely consistent with a hypothesis are useless. An interpretation of probability based on information clarifies a variety of problems, such as randomness and individual fitness. I argue that all knowledge, including mathematical knowledge and our methods of justification themselves, is justified empirically. Deduction, prediction, induction, and other methods are all useful in both biology and mathematics, and to discard any is to artificially restrict discovery and knowledge. Explanation is the understanding of causes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department and Committee on the Conceptual Foundations of Science, University of Chicago, USA

    Leigh M. Van Valen

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  1. Leigh M. Van Valen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Philosophy, University of Helsinki, Finland

    Esa Saarinen

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© 1982 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland

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Van Valen, L.M. (1982). Why Misunderstand the Evolutionary Half of Biology?. In: Saarinen, E. (eds) Conceptual Issues in Ecology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7796-9_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7796-9_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-277-1391-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-7796-9

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