Creating a ‘gestalt shift’ in evolutionary science: roles for metaphor in the conceptual landscape of the extended evolutionary synthesis (EES)

Abstract

The role of novel metaphors, analogies and figurative devices in generating new frameworks for thought and guiding new scientific discoveries has been one of Evelyn Fox Keller's important contributions to our understanding of the development of genetics in the twentieth century.Here we explore metaphors that are used in the construction of the extended evolutionary synthesis (EES), a theoretical framework that is still very much in the making. The EES challenges mainstream gene-based, 'Modern Synthesis' versions of evolutionary theory and calls for a development-and organism-oriented view of heredity and evolution. We show that at the current unstable and dynamic stage of its construction, the metaphors and analogies that are put forward by advocates of the EES play an important role in defining its boundaries, scope and ambitions, while the aesthetic and ambiguous aspects of these same metaphors are used by opponents to undermine the scientific value of the EES.

Autopoiesis, Thermodynamics, and the Natural Drift of Living Beings: Another Way to the New Evolutionary Synthesis

“…), not [of] genetic configu-rations per se" ( [37], p. 290). This view clearly contrasts with MS's gene-centric approach, and accords with NES's broadened notion of evolution [10,29].…”

“…In NDT, evolution is viewed as a process of generation and differentiation of “relational configurations between organism and medium (…), not [of] genetic configurations per se” ([ 37 ], p. 290). This view clearly contrasts with MS’s gene-centric approach, and accords with NES’s broadened notion of evolution [ 10 , 29 ].…”

“…as an 'agent' of evolutionary change [in the sense that] genes are followers of life's evolutionary processes rather than its drivers or instructors." ( [29], p. 374. Original brackets removed).…”

“…Complementarily, it is argued that organismal-level phenomena are central, not peripheral explanatory factors in evolutionary change, and that therefore evolution cannot be reductively explained only (or mainly) in terms of genes. Herrington and Jablonka, for instance, express this view when they talk about “the importance of the organism (…) as an ‘agent’ of evolutionary change [in the sense that] genes are followers of life’s evolutionary processes rather than its drivers or instructors.” ([ 29 ], p. 374. Original brackets removed).…”

Autopoiesis and evolution: the role of organisms in natural drift

“…However, these assumptions are undermined by the fact that multiple regulating mechanisms take place throughout the process of gene expression, thus decoupling random genetic mutation from phenotypes. It is also observed that random DNA variations can initiate developmental processes that lead to nonrandom and often functional phenotypic variations (Herrington & Jablonka, 2020). It seems that mechanisms that can engineer non-random variations do exist: research on epigenetic mechanisms suggests that context-sensitive and more frequent epigenetic variations may often initiate evolutionary change and then influence and facilitate long-term genetic changes (Jablonka, 2017;Jablonka & Lamb, 2020).…”