Selection Type Theories
Philosophy of SciencePublished 1 March 1989
Lindley Darden, Joseph Allen Cain
Citations159
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score0.69
SNIP0.82
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TL;DR
The potential fruitfulness of research to find other theory types and construct their abstractions is suggested, because it provides a useful tool for analyzing the nature of other selection theories and may be of use in new instances of theory construction.
Abstract
Selection type theories solve adaptation problems. Natural selection, clonal selection for antibody production, and selective theories of higher brain function are examples. An abstract characterization of typical selection processes is generated by analyzing and extending previous work on the nature of natural selection. Once constructed, this abstraction provides a useful tool for analyzing the nature of other selection theories and may be of use in new instances of theory construction. This suggests the potential fruitfulness of research to find other theory types and construct their abstractions.
Keywords
Social SciencesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
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