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Philosophy Commons

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Philosophy of Science

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Faculty Publications

2015

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Philosophy

Darwin’S Dice: The Idea Of Chance In The Thought Of Charles Darwin, Charles H. Pence Nov 2015

Darwin’S Dice: The Idea Of Chance In The Thought Of Charles Darwin, Charles H. Pence

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Is Organismic Fitness At The Basis Of Evolutionary Theory?, Charles H. Pence, Grant Ramsey Jan 2015

Is Organismic Fitness At The Basis Of Evolutionary Theory?, Charles H. Pence, Grant Ramsey

Faculty Publications

Fitness is a central theoretical concept in evolutionary theory. Despite its importance, much debate has occurred over how to conceptualize and formalize fitness. One point of debate concerns the roles of organismic and trait fitness. In a recent addition to this debate, Elliott Sober argues that trait fitness is the central fitness concept, and that organismic fitness is of little value. In this paper, by contrast, we argue that it is organismic fitness that lies at the bases of both the conceptual role of fitness and its role as a measure of evolutionary dynamics.


Military Genomic Testing: Proportionality, Expected Benefits, And The Connection Between Genotypes And Phenotypes, Charles H. Pence Jan 2015

Military Genomic Testing: Proportionality, Expected Benefits, And The Connection Between Genotypes And Phenotypes, Charles H. Pence

Faculty Publications

Mehlman and Li offer a framework for approaching the bioethical issues raised by the military use of genomics that is compellingly grounded in both the contemporary civilian and military ethics of medical research, arguing that military commanders must be bound by the two principles of paternalism and proportionality. I agree fully. But I argue here that this is a much higher bar than we may fully realize. Just as the principle of proportionality relies upon a thorough assessment of harms caused and military advantage gained, the use of genomic research, on Mehlman and Li's view, will require an accurate understanding …


The Many Chances Of Charles Darwin, Charles H. Pence Jan 2015

The Many Chances Of Charles Darwin, Charles H. Pence

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.