The Study Of Philosophy Of Biology At Peter Godfrey-Smith

Peter Godfrey-Smith(1965-),as an important researcher in the field of contemporary philosophy of biology,has made mathematical innovations about the Darwinian populations concept in evolutionary biology,and has had a great influence on the academic community.Natural selection and the concept of genes have always been the focus of the philosophy of biology,as well as the focus of his research.The analysis of their theoretical connotations will help clarify his thoughts process.Godfrey-Smith also contributed to the general philosophy of science,while his research in the philosophy of biology focused on evolutionary biology.The main ideas include the rejection of the replicator approach and the inheritance of the traditional abstract description of the natural selection process.More specifically,Darwinian populations that evolve by natural selection reflect the connotation of natural selection,and Godfrey-Smith characterizes this concept with a three-dimensional spatial model that distinguishes different populations according to the positions they occupy in space.Reproduction concept is also characterized by spatial framework,and this treatment has caused much controversy.It is found that supporters generally focus on inspiration about the method,while opponents emphasize mathematical practice;in the analysis of the concept of gene,Godfrey-Smith objected to the view that genes are replicons,and believed that genes as evolutionary units do not exist at all;regarding the information problem of the genetic process,it is pointed out that genes are only material,and the myth of genetic determination is a paranoid psychological pursuit.Finally,through Godfrey-Smith's thought experiment on genetic issues,the discussion of his scientific realism point of view is extended.The concepts of natural selection and genes have rich historical connotations.By synthesizing the changes in previous understandings,it is very enlightening to understand Godfrey-Smith's philosophy of biology,especially the study of its characterization methods,involving the debate between mathematics and philosophy;philosophical ideas such as teleology and causality always run through the discussion of philosophy of biology,and the analysis of the content is also important.The study of Godfrey-Smith's philosophy of biology clarifies his understanding of natural selection and genes,and the sorting and analysis of the controversial part of his theory is a good supplement and explanation for the existing philosophy of biology research.