Teleological Explanations

Wright, Larry

doi:10.1525/9780520333697

Cited by 421 publications

(82 citation statements)

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“…So, for example, the causal role account of functions (roughly) holds thatafunction is what contributes to some 'capacity' of al argerc omplex system that contains it (Cummins 1975); however,h ow should such a 'capacity' be analyzedi fn ot as ap roperty of the system as aw hole? Similarly,the recent organizational account (Mossio, Saborido, and Moreno 2009) uses organismlevel goals that can be used to ground trait-level functions.¹³ Potentially, asimilar point could be madeabout the selected effects account, which holds thatafunctioniswhat explains whysome structure was selected for in the past (Wright 1973(Wright ,1976Millikan 1984;Neander 1991). Theselectedeffects account presupposes therew as some 'normale nvironment' in the evolutionary past,a nd while this seems like ag ood presupposition for structures like the heart or lungs,i ti sm uch less clear what the 'normal environment' of certain types of animal behaviorshould be.…”

Section: Contrast With Functional Explanationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Ontology of Organismic Agency: A Kantian Approach

Desmond¹,

Huneman²

2020

Natural Born Monads

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Biologists explain organisms' behavior not onlya sh avingb een programmed by genes and shaped by natural selection, but also as the resulto f an organism'sa gency:t he capacity to react to environmental changes in goaldrivenw ays. The use of such 'agential explanations' reopens old questions about how justified it is to ascribea gencyt oe ntities like bacteria or plants that obviouslylack rationality and even anervous system. Is organismic agency genuinely 'real' or is it justauseful fiction?Inthis paper we focus on two questions: whether agential explanations are to be interpreted ontically, and whether they can be reduced to non-agential explanations (thereby dispensing with agency). The Kantian approach we identify interprets agential explanations non-ontically, yetholds agency to be indispensable. Attributing agency to organisms is not to be takenl iterallyint he wayw eattribute physical properties such as mass or acceleration, but nor is it amere heuristic or predictive tool. Rather,it is an inevitable consequence of our ownrational capacity:aslong as we are rational agents ourselves, we cannot avoid seeing agency in organisms.

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Section: Contrast With Functional Explanationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pittendrigh 1958;E rnst Mayr 1961). In philosophyo fb iologyt his view wase nshrinedb yt he 'selected effects' account of function,whereall biological functions can be explained by aprocess of natural selection (Wright 1973(Wright ,1976Millikan 1984;N eander 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Ontology of Organismic Agency: A Kantian Approach

Desmond¹,

Huneman²

2020

Natural Born Monads

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“…Although such causal history can already be interpreted as being equivalent to what we mean by etiology (including both causal and pathogenetic components), Salmon's "causal/mechanical explanation" ts the bill even better. He actually used the term etiological explanation -borrowing it from Wright (1976) -to refer to "a causal network consisting of relevant causal interactions that occurred previously and suitable causal processes that connect them to the factto-be-explained" (Salmon 1984:269). Salmon also referred to kinds of explanation that place emphasis on "the causal behavior of the constituents … rather than upon a set of antecedent causes" (p. 270).…”

Section: Explanationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Etiological explanations

Dammann¹

2020

Etiological Explanations

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This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. While all reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, neither the author [s] nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publishers wish to make clear that any views or opinions expressed in this book by individual editors, authors or contributors are personal to them and do not necessarily reflect the views/opinions of the publishers. The information or guidance contained in this book is intended for use by medical, scientific or health-care professionals and is provided strictly as a supplement to the medical or other professional's own judgement, their knowledge of the patient's medical history, relevant manufacturer's instructions and the appropriate best practice guidelines. Because of the rapid advances in medical science, any information or advice on dosages, procedures or diagnoses should be independently verified. The reader is strongly urged to consult the relevant national drug formulary and the drug companies' and device or material manufacturers' printed instructions, and their websites, before administering or utilizing any of the drugs, devices or materials mentioned in this book. This book does not indicate whether a particular treatment is appropriate or suitable for a particular individual. Ultimately it is the sole responsibility of the medical professional to make his or her own professional judgements, so as to advise and treat patients appropriately. The authors and publishers have also attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint.Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.

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“…Questions in connection with functional causal processes are of the type: what does X attempt to accomplish by his acts, behaviour, etc.? Functional processes are linked to an expectation mechanism (Braithwaite, 1953; Wright, 1976; Bigelow and Pargetter, 1987). While cause in historical processes is always linked to the past, expectation is linked to the future.…”

Section: Part 2 Social Mechanisms and Explanation Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social mechanisms in organizations: awakened from their Sarcophagi

Johannessen¹

2010

Kybernetes

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PurposeIn order to explain a phenomenon/problem, some of the mechanisms which elicit the phenomenon/problem must be clarified, since: “a goal of scientific research is to uncover reality beneath appearance”. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the following issue: how can social mechanisms be examined from a systemic point of view?Design/methodology/approachThe paper investigates, at an abstract level, what is meant by social mechanisms in social systems in Part 1. Social mechanisms and various explanation models are investigated in Part 2, using the systemic approach.FindingsHowever well‐functioning the models developed, this procedure will not have developed a theory of the phenomenon. For that purpose, explanations at a more basic level than the model is able to disclose, will be necessary. The empirical causal model says something about the strength in the relation between the variables and can be used in practice in order to change certain variables to facilitate the desired change in the system.Originality/valueThe paper usefully shows that, if possible, explanations at a more basic level would be desirable; but not necessary for the application of insights in practical contexts. By this, the paper has stated that a theory can be desirable, but not necessary, in order to develop, e.g. innovative organisations. Models and social mechanisms, on the other hand, are necessary to organise knowledge for the purpose of use in practical contexts.

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Teleological Explanations

Cited by 421 publications

References 0 publications

The Ontology of Organismic Agency: A Kantian Approach

The Ontology of Organismic Agency: A Kantian Approach

Etiological explanations

Social mechanisms in organizations: awakened from their Sarcophagi

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