Cause and effect in biology¶
Mayr, E. (1961). Cause and effect in biology. Science, 134(3489), 1501-1506.
Cited by¶
2 citations across 2 artifacts.
Each citation links to the sentence it supports in the citing article.
Primes¶
- Adaptation
- Adaptation is the process by which a system changes its internal structure, behavior, or parameters in response to sustained environmental change in a way that preserves or improves its fit to the new conditions, a teleonomic process Mayr (1961) carefully distinguished from immediate physiological causation by separating proximate (how) from ultimate (why) explanations in biology.
This sourceDistinguishes proximate (mechanistic, 'how') from ultimate (evolutionary, 'why') causation; foundational for treating adaptation as a teleonomic — goal-directed-without-conscious-purpose — process specifiable across substrates.
- Adaptation is the process by which a system changes its internal structure, behavior, or parameters in response to sustained environmental change in a way that preserves or improves its fit to the new conditions, a teleonomic process Mayr (1961) carefully distinguished from immediate physiological causation by separating proximate (how) from ultimate (why) explanations in biology.
- Teleology
- Aristotle's doctrine of final cause — telos as that-for-the-sake-of-which — is foundational; modern reframes (etiological function via Wright 1973, teleosemantics via Millikan 1984, teleonomy via Mayr 1961) preserve explanatory power while naturalizing purpose-talk, grounding it in selection history, design intent, or functional role.
This sourceDistinguishes proximate (mechanistic) from ultimate (evolutionary) causation; foundational for treating adaptation as a teleonomic — goal-directed-without-conscious-purpose — process specifiable across substrates.
- Aristotle's doctrine of final cause — telos as that-for-the-sake-of-which — is foundational; modern reframes (etiological function via Wright 1973, teleosemantics via Millikan 1984, teleonomy via Mayr 1961) preserve explanatory power while naturalizing purpose-talk, grounding it in selection history, design intent, or functional role.
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