Reductionistic Research Strategies and Their Biases in the Units of Selection Controversy

摘要: Butler’s satiric comment encapsulates the reductionistic spirit that made Darwinism objectionable to many in his own day, but has fared ever better as a prophetic characterization of explanatory tenor modem evolutionary biology. It preceded August Weismann’s doctrine continuity germ plasm advanced inaugural lecture 1883 by some five years. As views became one anchor points modern ‘neo-Darwinian’ theory evolution, they led recapitulations and elaborations epigram. Thus Richard Dawkins writes (1976, p. 21): Was there be any end gradual improvement techniques artifices used repliators insure their continuance world? … They did not out, for are past masters survival arts. But do look them floating loose sea…. Now swarm huge colonies, safe inside gigantic lumbering robots, sealed off from outside world, communicating with it torturous indirect routes, manipulating controL you me; created us, body mind; preservation is ultimate rationale our existence…. go name genes, we machines.