Darwin-L Message Log 5:86 (January 1994)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<5:86>From PGRIFFITHS@gandalf.otago.ac.nz  Sun Jan 16 18:06:43 1994

To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
From: PGriffiths@gandalf.otago.ac.nz
Organization: University of Otago
Date: 17 Jan 1994 13:12:49GMT+1200
Subject: Re: Developmentalism Bibliography

I was glad to see Ron Amundsen's bibliography appearing on the list. I
believe that a reintegration of developmental ideas into evolutionary theory
is, indeed, the most important current challenge to 'neo-darwinian'
orthodoxy.  However, there are two clearly distinguishable kinds of
developmentalist critique.  One emphasises developmental constraint, and is
well represented by the bibliograpy just posted.  The other, however, is
centered on a rejection of 'dichotomous accounts of development' which
assume that the fundamental distinction in developmental theory is between
genic and non-genic accounts of development. It suggests a larger
'developmental system' which is the real unit of study. I thought I might
offer a short bibliography directed more towards this strand.  The following
are in historical order, but Susan Oyama's work, and especially her book
'The Ontogeny of Information', should be singled out as seminal for many of
the later authors.

D.S Lehrmann "Critique of Konrad Lorenz's Theory of Instinctive Behaviour",
Quarterly Review of Biology, XXVIII (1953):337-363;   "Semantic & Conceptual
Issues in the Nature-Nurture Problem", in his Development & the Evolution of
Behaviour (W.H Freeman: San Francisco,1970): 17-52.

G Stent "Strength and weakness of the genetic approach to the development of
the nervous system" in W.M Cowan, ed., Studies in Developmental Neurobiology
(Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1981),

R.C Lewontin, Human Diversity (Scientific American Press: 1982); "The
organism as the subject and object of evolution", Scientia, CXVIII (1983):
65-82.

S Oyama The Ontogeny of Information, (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge,
1985); Ontogeny & the Central Dogma, in M.R Gunnar & E Thalen, ed, Systems &
Development,  (Lawrence Earlbaum: Hillsdale, N.J, 1989).

T.D Johnston, "The Persistence of Dichotomies in the Study of Behavioural
Development", Developmental Review, VII (1987): 149-182.

T.D Johnston, and G Gottlieb, "Neophenogenesis: a developmental theory of
phenotypic evolution," Journal of Theoretical Biology,  CXLVII (1990):
471-495.

H.F Nijhout, "Metaphors and the role of genes in development,"  Bioessays,
XII (1990): 4410-4446.

R.D Gray, "Death of the Gene: Developmental Systems Strike Back," in P.E
Griffiths, ed, Trees of Life: Essays in Philosophy of Biology (Kluwer:
Dordrecht, 1992): 165-209.

L Moss, "A kernel of truth? On the reality of the genetic program", in D.L
Hull, M Forbes and K Okruhlik, eds, Philosophy of Science Association
Proceedings 1992  Vol.1: 335-248.

Paul E Griffiths
Department of Philosophy
University of Otago
P.O Box 56, Dunedin,
New Zealand

Tel: (03) 479-8727
Fax: (03) 479-2305

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