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Discussion of “Four Case Studies on Chance in Evolution”: Philosophical Themes and Questions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Roberta L. Millstein
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Abstract

The four case studies on chance in evolution provide a rich source for further philosophical analysis. Among the issues raised are the following: Are there different conceptions of chance at work, or is there a common underlying conception? How can a given concept of chance be distinguished from other chance concepts and from nonchance concepts? How can the occurrence of a given chance process be distinguished empirically from nonchance processes or other chance processes? What role does chance play in evolutionary theory? I argue that in order to answer these questions, a careful distinction between process and outcome must be made; however, the purpose of this essay is not to answer these questions definitively, but rather to elaborate on them and to provide a starting point for further discussion.

Type
Case Studies on Chance in Evolution
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 73 , Issue 5: Proceedings of the 2004 Biennial Meeting of The Philosophy of Science Association. Part II: Symposia Papers. Edited by Miriam Solomon , December 2006 , pp. 678 - 687
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

‡

I thank Bob Richardson for graciously inviting me to be a commentator for this session. I also thank all four presenters (John Beatty, Mike Dietrich, Bob Richardson, and Rob Skipper) for many stimulating discussions concerning evolution and chance. Although I am sure that I have been influenced by those discussions, any errors are my own responsibility.

References

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