September 30, 2010
by peter.taylor
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When Darwin, in the third chapter of On the Origin of Species, explored evolution’s ecological context he was not simply laying out a program of research for a future science now called ecology (see previous post). He was responding to … Continue reading
September 23, 2010
by peter.taylor
2 Comments
As a form of historical explanation, natural selection is very restrictive; the world and its history must have a particular and atypical shape to fit it (Taylor 1987). To develop this claim, let me start with Darwin himself, who, in … Continue reading
September 22, 2010
by peter.taylor
2 Comments
In the third chapter of On the Origin of Species, Darwin introduced his concept of natural selection by noting that, given the struggle for existence, “any variation, however slight and from whatever cause proceeding, if it is in any degree … Continue reading