生物学的個体化 : 有機体と種のケース

書誌事項

タイトル別名
  • セイブツガクテキ コタイカ : ユウキタイ ト タネ ノ ケース
  • Seibutsugakuteki kotaika : yukitai to tane no kesu
  • Biological individuation : the cases of organisms and species

この論文をさがす

抄録

type:text

In this paper, I consider the problem of biological individuation by comparing the cases of organisms and species. Biologists try to understand the biological world through individuating living things or identifying biological individuals. Various criteria of biological individuation have been proposed, and philosophers of biology dispute about how to deal with them. Pluralism is traditionally a strong position in the philosophy of biology. The situation forms a striking contrast with that of the philosophy of physics, where monism and reductionism pervade. I show that the organism problem is real even if we assume gene selectionism. Moreover, I argue that organism eliminativism is sterile, and propose to retain "organism" as an umbrella term instead. Ontological status of species has given rise to a heated controversy. The individuality thesis of species was influential, and the death of essentialism was proclaimed. But recently the new biological essentialism (e.g., the homeostatic property cluster view, relational essentialism) comes to the fore, and consequently the distinction between individuals and kinds becomes ambiguous. I show that "individuation" is an important business of biology even if we accept the new biological essentialism. Moreover, I argue that there is a synergy effect between biological individuation and understanding of the biological world, which I call "mutual penetration" after Nishiwaki (2012).

特集 : 西脇与作君・樽井正義君退職記念 寄稿論文

収録刊行物

  • 哲學

    哲學 134 55-77, 2015-03

    三田哲學會

詳細情報 詳細情報について

問題の指摘

ページトップへ