Organisms, Agency, and Evolution

Description

The central insight of Darwin's Origin of Species is that evolution is an ecological phenomenon, arising from the activities of organisms in the 'struggle for life'. By contrast, the Modern Synthesis theory of evolution, which rose to prominence in the twentieth century, presents evolution as a fundamentally molecular phenomenon, occurring in populations of sub-organismal entities - genes. After nearly a century of success, the Modern Synthesis theory is now being challenged by empirical advances in the study of organismal development and inheritance. In this important study, D. M. Walsh shows that the principal defect of the Modern Synthesis resides in its rejection of Darwin's organismal perspective, and argues for 'situated Darwinism': an alternative, organism-centred conception of evolution that prioritises organisms as adaptive agents. His book will be of interest to scholars and advanced students of evolutionary biology and the philosophy of biology. Cover Half-title page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Preface Introducing organisms: Between unificationism and exceptionalism Part I The eclipse of the organism 1 Mechanism, reduction and emergence: Of molecules and method 2 Ensemble thinking: Of struggle and abstraction 3 The fractionation of evolution: Struggling or replicating? Part II Beyond replicator biology 4
Inheritance: Transmission or resemblance? 5 Units of phenotypic control: Parity or privilege? 6 Fit and diversity: From competition to complementarity 7
Integrating development: Three grades of ontogenetic commitment Part III Situated Darwinism 8 Adaptation: Environments and affordances 9 Natural purposes: Mechanism and teleology 10 Object and agent: Enacting evolution 11 Two neo-Darwinisms: Fractionated or situated? References Index