自然选择原理的解释作用及其同义反复问题

On the Explanatory Roles of Natural Selection and the Problem of Tautology

当代生物学哲学对选择解释的同义反复问题的研究有三条进路:怀疑自然选择原理的科学地位、重新定义适合度和选择的概念、放弃科学理论结构的正统观点。这三种研究都不能彻底解决同义反复问题。当被作为生物与环境的关系并运用工程分析的方法来定义时,选择解释都不是同义反复的。当用实际的后代数量来估计适合度的值时,对种群构成变化的选择解释并不产生同义反复;而对具体个体的存在进行选择解释就是同义反复的。

There are three approaches to settle the dispute on whether the principle of natural selection is a tautology: taking a skeptical attitude to the scientific status of the principle of natural selection;redefining the fitness and selection;giving up the received view of the structure scientific theory.However,the tautology debate has been not satisfactorily resolved.If we can propose some prior criteria about the fitness advantages given by particular traits in particular environments,there is nothing tautological about the selection explanation.However,there are no prior criteria of fitness independent of survival.If fitness is measured by the expected number of offspring,the selection explanation about population's structure would be not a tautology.There would be a tautology only in the case that the selection explanation is applied to the existence of special individuals.