About the Book
Natural selection, mutation, and adaptation are well-known and central topics in Darwin's theory of evolution and in the 20th - and 21st -century theories which grew out of it, but many other important topics are used in evolutionary biology that raise interesting philosophical questions. In this book, Elliott Sober analyses a much larger range of topics, including fitness, altruism, common ancestry, chance, taxonomy, phylogenetic inference, operationalism, reductionism, conventionalism, null hypotheses and default reasoning, instrumentalism versus realism, hypothetico-deductivism, essentialism, falsifiability, the principle of parsimony, the principle of the common cause, causality, determinism versus indeterminism, sensitivity to initial conditions, and the knowability of the past. Sober's clear philosophical analyses of these key concepts, arguments, and methods of inference will be valuable for all readers who want to understand evolutionary biology in both its Darwinian and its contemporary forms.
Table of Contents:
1. A Darwinian introduction; 2. Fitness and natural selection; 3. Units of selection; 4. Common ancestry; 5. Drift; 6. Mutation; 7. Taxa and genealogy; 8. Adaptationism; 9. Big-picture questions.
About the Author :
Elliott Sober is Hans Reichenbach Professor Emeritus, and William F. Vilas Research Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His previous publications include Ockham's Razors: A User's Manual (Cambridge, 2015) and The Design Argument (Cambridge, 2018).
Review :
'Philosophy of biology has grown into a respectable and autonomous discipline, but also become increasingly specialized and fragmented. Elliott Sober's book is poised to rekindle meta-scientific exploration into the epistemological and ontological dimensions of evolutionary biology, and demonstrates to both philosophers and biologists that evolutionary biology remains a fertile ground teeming with captivating conceptual issues.' Jun Otsuka, Kyoto University
'Elliott Sober has provided an excellent, lucid tour through all the important concepts and advances in evolutionary theorising from Darwin to the present. His expositions and arguments draw on a wealth of philosophical and biological material, including many of his own original contributions to the field. Philosophers and biologists will find much to ponder, as will non-specialists with an interest in evolutionary theory.' R. Paul Thompson, University of Toronto
'The Philosophy of Evolutionary Theory succeeds in providing readers with a solid foundation in many of the significant topics in evolutionary biology. Like all of Sober's books, the writing style is clear and succinct. Each chapter aims to summarize one major evolutionary concept and provides insight into debates in the field, along with several suggestions for further study. At first glance, the somewhat modest length of the book would seem to indicate a cursory overview of these complex ideas (e.g., units of selection, fitness, adaptationism, etc.). However, this is a testament to Sober's ability to explain intricate concepts concisely. Each chapter is a fantastic introduction to these fundamental evolutionary topics and will provide a reader with a sophisticated understanding of often misunderstood ideas. I highly recommend this book to advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals.' Stephen Smith, University of Michigan
'This excellent book should appeal to scholars from many different disciplines. … Highly recommended.' J. S. Schwartz, CHOICE
'The Philosophy of Evolutionary Theory ties evolutionary theory to philosophical matters such as causation, levels of organization, reductionism, essentialism, and interpretations of probability. … The Philosophy of Evolutionary Theory can thus provide working scientists-in particular, Evolution readers who may be theoreticians, experimentalists, or field biologists-with tools for self-reflection and critical thinking about their scientific work. This can help inspire the growth of scientific theory, or the expansion and critique of both experimental design and statistical analysis. It can also just be great fun to think about the foundations of your favorite field of scientific inquiry.' Evolution
'The Philosophy of Evolutionary Theory is a welcome new textbook that promises to be an exceptional resource for those wanting to learn about philosophical issues focused on evolution. The text will be equally valuable to those who teach philosophy of biology classes with an emphasis on aspects of evolution. The formal aspects will certainly challenge some readers, but the benefits of this efficient (at just 257 pages) guide to thinking about evolution can be gained by almost any reader who has an interest in investigating a range of philosophical issues that evolutionary theory presents.' Christopher H. Pearson, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
'Sober has been blazing a philosophical trail for decades through penetrating analyses of fitness, natural selection, species, systematics, and more. It is not an exaggeration to say that his work set the agenda in many ways for philosophy of biology. In this latest installment, we get the best of Sober's work on these topics, with classic distinctions like 'selection of' versus 'selection for'(including the 'selection toy' that celebrated its fortieth birthday last year), alongside material of more recent vintage, such as explorations of the likelihood approach to inferences about common ancestry. … Along the way, Sober introduces the reader to important terminology and key distinctions, giving simple but illuminating examples with line drawings and tables to unpack the ideas.' Alan Love, Philosophical Review
