| Weismann, Wittgenstein and the homunculus fallacy. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 20934647 Owner: NLM Status: In-Process |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
A problem that has troubled both neo-Darwinists and neo-Lamarckians is whether instincts involve knowledge. This paper discusses the contributions to this problem of the evolutionary biologist August Weismann and the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Weismann discussed an empirical homunculus fallacy: Lamarck's theory mistakenly presupposes a homunculus in the germ cells. Wittgenstein discussed a conceptual homunculus fallacy which applies to Lamarck's theory: it is mistaken to suppose that knowledge is stored in the brain or DNA. The upshot of these two fallacies is that instincts arise through a neo-Darwinian process but are not cognitions in the sense that they involve (the recollection of stored) knowledge. Although neo-Lamarckians have rightly argued that learning processes may contribute to the development of instincts, their ideas about the role of knowledge in the evolution and development of instincts are mistaken. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Harry Smit |
Related Documents
:
|
1316537 - Aids and sle: a reverse process of the same disease. 874727 - Fine structural changes in the gastro-intestinal tract of the hypoxic puppy: a study of... 7799237 - From juggling to balancing. 15666727 - Potential for escape of live boll weevils (coleoptera: curculionidae) into cottonseed, ... 20560747 - A systematic review of suicide prevention programs for military or veterans. 7845937 - Prevention of secondary disabilities after brain injury and spinal cord injury: implica... |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article Date: 2010-08-03 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Studies in history and philosophy of biological and biomedical sciences Volume: 41 ISSN: 1879-2499 ISO Abbreviation: Stud Hist Philos Biol Biomed Sci Publication Date: 2010 Sep |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2010-10-11 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 9810965 Medline TA: Stud Hist Philos Biol Biomed Sci Country: England |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 263-71 Citation Subset: IM |
Copyright Information:
|
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Affiliation:
|
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, Netherlands. h.smit@maastrichtuniversity.nl |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
|
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: The discovery of oxidative phosphorylation: a conceptual off-shoot from the study of glycolysis.
Next Document: On a naturalist theory of health: a critique.