Abstract
The synthetic theory of evolution is a multi-level theory that serves to synthesize knowledge from fields at different levels of organization. It provides a solution to the problem of the origin of species. Biologists attempted to solve this problem for years, during which time the key fields emerged and developed to the point that the synthesis was possible. Prior to the synthesis, debate occurred about what components were necessary to solve the problem and alternative theories were proposed. Had any of the prior theories been correct, then the fields that exist within evolutionary studies would have been different. What fields exist is a contingent fact about the nature of the world and the way we study it. What fields are synthesized to solve certain problems is contingent on the nature of the solution and the stage of development of various fields at the time the solution is proposed.
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© 1986 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht
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Darden, L. (1986). Relations Among Fields in the Evolutionary Synthesis. In: Bechtel, W. (eds) Integrating Scientific Disciplines. Science and Philosophy, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-9435-1_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-9435-1_6
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