Functional Explanation in Biology

In this: publication
By this: publisher
In this Subject: Philosophy
By this author: Wouters, Arno

Author: Wouters, Arno

Source: Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and the Humanities, Cognitive Structures in Scientific Inquiry. Essays in Debate with Theo Kuipers Volume 2. Edited by Roberto Festa, Atocha Aliseda and Jeanne Peijnenburg , pp. 269-293(25)

Publisher: Rodopi

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $20.00 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

This paper evaluates Kuipers' account of functional explanation in biology in view of an example of such an explanation taken from real biology. The example is the explanation of why electric fishes swim backwards (Lannoo and Lannoo 1993). Kuipers' account depicts the answer to a request for functional explanation as consisting only of statements that articulate a certain kind of consequence. It is argued that such an account fails to do justice to the main insight provided by the example explanation, namely the insight into why backwards swimming is needed by fishes that locate their food by means of an electric radar. The paper sketches an improved account that does justice to this kind of insight. It is argued that this account is consistent with and complementary to Kuipers' insight that function attributions are established by means of a process of hypothetico-deductive reasoning guided by a heuristic principle.

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2005-11-01