Darwin and the Nature of Species

David N. Stamos

Description

Since the 1859 publication of On the Origin of Species, the concept of "species" in biology has been widely debated, with its precise definition far from settled. And yet, amazingly, there have been no books devoted to Charles Darwin's thinking on the term until now. David N. Stamos gives us a groundbreaking, historical reconstruction of Darwin's detailed, yet often misinterpreted, thoughts on this complex concept.

Stamos provides a thorough and detailed analysis of Darwin's extensive writings, both published and unpublished, in order to reveal Darwin's actual species concept. Stamos argues that Darwin had a unique evolutionary species concept in mind, one that was not at all a product of his time. Challenging currently accepted views that believe Darwin was merely following the species ascriptions of his fellow naturalists, Stamos works to prove that this prevailing, nominalistic view should be overturned. This book also addresses three issues pertinent to the philosophy of science: the modern species problem, the nature of concept change in scientific revolutions, and the contextualist trend in professional history of science.
Preface
Acknowledgments

1. A History of Nominalist Interpretation

2. Taxon, Category, and Laws of Nature

3. The Horizontal/Vertical Distinction and the Language Analogy

4. Common Descent and Natural Classification

5. Natural Selection and the Unity of Science

6. Not Sterility, Fertility, or Niches

7. The Varieties Problem

8. Darwin’s Strategy

9. Concept Change in Scientific Revolutions

10. Darwin and the New Historiography

Notes  
References
Index

Sujets

• Philosophy
• History of science

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791480885
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

D ar win and the N ature of S pecies

D avid N . S tamos

Darwin and the Nature of Species

i

SUNY series in Philosophy and Biology

David Edward Shaner, editor

Darwin and the Nature of Species

David N. Stamos

State University of New York Press

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany ©2007 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 122102384

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Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Stamos, David N., 1957 Darwin and the nature of species / David N. Stamos. p. cm. – (SUNY series in philosophy and biology) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN13: 9780791469378 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN10: 0791469379 (hardcover : alk. paper ISBN13: 9780791469385 (pbk. : alk paper) ISBN10: 0791469387 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Species–Philosophy. 2. Darwin, Charles, 18091882. I. Title. II. Series.

QH83.S748 2007 578'.012–dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2005036225

In memory of my mentor and friend the late Robert H. Haynes, who enjoyed to the last what he called “the opiate of Darwinism.”

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Contents 

Preface Acknowledgments 1. A History of Nominalist Interpretation 2. Taxon, Category, and Laws of Nature 3. The Horizontal/Vertical Distinction and the Language Analogy 4. Common Descent and Natural Classification 5. Natural Selection and the Unity of Science 6. Not Sterility, Fertility, or Niches 7. The Varieties Problem 8. Darwin’s Strategy 9. Concept Change in Scientific Revolutions 10. Darwin and the New Historiography

Notes References Index

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ix xix 1 21

37 65 81 107 131 153 187 207

231 249 267

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Preface 

Looking back, I think it was more difficult to see what the problems were than to solve them. —Charles Darwin (letter to Charles Lyell, September 30, 1859)

The year 1859 marks the beginning of an enormous earthquake, an earth quake that shook the world and continues to shake it to this very day. The earthquake and the consequent tremors were not caused by the gradual shift and strain of conflicting ideas, but by a sudden impact, the publica tion ofOn the Origin of Speciesby Charles Darwin. It started a revolution in thinking, an enormous paradigm shift, the implications of which are still being worked out. Interestingly, at the very core of that revolution is the concept of species. It is important, then, to know exactly what Darwin did with that concept. The problem, however, is that for a variety of reasons scholars (biologists, philosophers of biology, and professional historians of biology) have provided interpretations that just don’t fit the facts. A large part of the reason, as we shall see, was caused by Darwin himself. At any rate, the problem of Darwin on the nature of species, what was the prevail ing view and how he tried to change that view, has yet to be adequately understood and appreciated. The time is definitely overdue for a detailed historical reconstruction. This becomes even more important because the concept of species in biology, from the time of Darwin right up to today, is still far from settled. The purpose of this book is basically fourfold: First and foremost, to provide a full and detailed reconstruction of Darwin’s species concept fo cusing mainly on his mature evolutionary period, to get it right inasmuch as that is possible. In fact the present work breaks entirely new ground and constitutes a major reinterpretation of Darwin on the nature of species, in stark contrast to the literature on this topic, which stretches back over 140

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