Distinction between Form and Biological Function: Consequences for the Radical Contingency Thesis

The radical contingency thesis (RCT) claims that evolved biological traits are contingent in the sense that are unpredictable, because their evolution depends on the happenings of previous evolutive states, which, despite ending in some specific biological forms, could have derived in very different...

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Autor principal: Parra Leal, Víctor Emilio
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades 2021
Materias:
contingencia
evolución
selección natural
funciones biológicas
contingency
evolution
natural selection
biological functions
Acceso en línea:https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/afjor/article/view/32434
Aporte de:
Epistemología e Historia de la Ciencia de Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
id I10-R341-article-32434
record_format ojs
institution Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
institution_str I-10
repository_str R-341
container_title_str Epistemología e Historia de la Ciencia
language Español
format Artículo revista
topic contingencia
evolución
selección natural
funciones biológicas
contingency
evolution
natural selection
biological functions
spellingShingle contingencia
evolución
selección natural
funciones biológicas
contingency
evolution
natural selection
biological functions
Parra Leal, Víctor Emilio
Distinction between Form and Biological Function: Consequences for the Radical Contingency Thesis
topic_facet contingencia
evolución
selección natural
funciones biológicas
contingency
evolution
natural selection
biological functions
author Parra Leal, Víctor Emilio
author_facet Parra Leal, Víctor Emilio
author_sort Parra Leal, Víctor Emilio
title Distinction between Form and Biological Function: Consequences for the Radical Contingency Thesis
title_short Distinction between Form and Biological Function: Consequences for the Radical Contingency Thesis
title_full Distinction between Form and Biological Function: Consequences for the Radical Contingency Thesis
title_fullStr Distinction between Form and Biological Function: Consequences for the Radical Contingency Thesis
title_full_unstemmed Distinction between Form and Biological Function: Consequences for the Radical Contingency Thesis
title_sort distinction between form and biological function: consequences for the radical contingency thesis
description The radical contingency thesis (RCT) claims that evolved biological traits are contingent in the sense that are unpredictable, because their evolution depends on the happenings of previous evolutive states, which, despite ending in some specific biological forms, could have derived in very different ones. This paper offers a new version about evolutive contingency, understood as the sharp distinction between function and biological form. There are enough elements for supporting the idea that, given the way natural selection works, in which the environment plays a key role, there is a clear distinction between biological form and function. This view implies contingency regarding the strategies that natural selection uses for accomplishing the varied required functions, but convergence in the general functions that traits are intended to fulfill. This view sheds light on the very nature of biological contingency in the sense that it shows that contingency is impossible if some general and basic functional effects are posited for every living organism.
publisher Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades
publishDate 2021
url https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/afjor/article/view/32434
work_keys_str_mv AT parralealvictoremilio distinctionbetweenformandbiologicalfunctionconsequencesfortheradicalcontingencythesis
AT parralealvictoremilio separacionentreformayfuncionbiologicaconsecuenciasparalatesisdelacontingenciaradical
first_indexed 2024-09-03T21:23:32Z
last_indexed 2025-02-05T22:08:47Z
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spelling I10-R341-article-324342025-01-01T15:10:42Z Distinction between Form and Biological Function: Consequences for the Radical Contingency Thesis Separación entre forma y función biológica: Consecuencias para la tesis de la contingencia radical Parra Leal, Víctor Emilio contingencia evolución selección natural funciones biológicas contingency evolution natural selection biological functions The radical contingency thesis (RCT) claims that evolved biological traits are contingent in the sense that are unpredictable, because their evolution depends on the happenings of previous evolutive states, which, despite ending in some specific biological forms, could have derived in very different ones. This paper offers a new version about evolutive contingency, understood as the sharp distinction between function and biological form. There are enough elements for supporting the idea that, given the way natural selection works, in which the environment plays a key role, there is a clear distinction between biological form and function. This view implies contingency regarding the strategies that natural selection uses for accomplishing the varied required functions, but convergence in the general functions that traits are intended to fulfill. This view sheds light on the very nature of biological contingency in the sense that it shows that contingency is impossible if some general and basic functional effects are posited for every living organism. La tesis de la contingencia radical (TCR) plantea que las formas biológicas que han evolucionado son contingentes en el sentido en que son impredecibles, pues su evolución depende de la ocurrencia de otros estados evolutivos previos que, si bien llevaron a determinada forma biológica, podrían haber resultado en otra distinta. En este artículo se plantea una nueva versión de la contingencia evolutiva, entendida como la separación entre forma y función biológica. Existen elementos y evidencia suficientes para defender la idea de que la manera como opera la evolución por selección natural es tal que, dada la dependencia de una adaptación biológica del medio, se da una separación entre forma y función biológica. Esta concepción implica contingencia respecto a las distintas estrategias de los seres vivos para cumplir las distintas funciones, pero convergencia en las funciones biológicas generales, que se derivan incluso de los requerimientos para que se considere a un organismo como ‘vivo’. Este enfoque permite aclarar la naturaleza de la contingencia evolutiva, al mostrar que la convergencia o contingencia de un rasgo biológico depende de la determinación general o específica de sus características. Otra consecuencia importante del análisis es mostrar que, entendida así, la contingencia no puede ser radical. A tese da contingência radical (TCR) afirma que as formas biológicas que evoluíram são contingentes no sentido de serem imprevisíveis, uma vez que sua evolução depende da ocorrência de outros estados evolutivos anteriores que, embora levassem a uma determinada forma biológica, poderiam ter resultou em um diferente. Neste artigo é proposta uma nova versão da contingência evolutiva, entendida como a separação entre forma e função biológica. Existem elementos e evidências suficientes para defender a ideia de que a forma como a evolução por seleção natural opera é tal que, dada a dependência de uma adaptação biológica do meio ambiente, há uma separação entre forma biológica e função. Essa concepção implica contingência no que diz respeito às diferentes estratégias dos seres vivos para cumprir as diferentes funções, mas convergência nas funções biológicas gerais, que são derivadas até mesmo da definição da vida. Essa abordagem permite esclarecer a natureza da contingência evolutiva, ao mostrar que a convergência ou contingência de um traço biológico depende da determinação geral ou específica de suas características. Outra consequência importante da análise é mostrar que, assim entendida, a contingência não pode ser radical. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades 2021-06-08 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/afjor/article/view/32434 10.61377/ehc.32434 Epistemología e Historia de la Ciencia; Vol. 5 No. 2 (2021): Epistemología e Historia de la Ciencia; 82-104 Epistemología e Historia de la Ciencia; Vol. 5 Núm. 2 (2021): Epistemología e Historia de la Ciencia; 82-104 Epistemología e Historia de la Ciencia; v. 5 n. 2 (2021): Epistemología e Historia de la Ciencia; 82-104 2525-1198 spa https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/afjor/article/view/32434/33769 Derechos de autor 2021 Epistemología e Historia de la Ciencia http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0

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