Embrace the Blindness of Evolution

1min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The discussion contrasts teleological perspectives in biology with Darwinian principles, highlighting a central tension between the idea of nature having goals and the notion that evolution operates through blind, causative processes without foresight. It emphasizes that Darwin's work is often viewed as a rejection of teleological explanations, suggesting that understanding life does not require attributing purpose or direction to evolutionary processes.

Just like with physics, in biology it is perfectly possible to do most respectable work without thinking much about philosophy, but there are unmistakably foundational questions where philosophy becomes crucial. When do we say that a collection of matter (or bits) is alive? When does it become an agent, capable of making decisions? What are the origins of morality and altruistic behavior? We talk with one of the world's leading experts, Samir Okasha, about the biggest issues in modern philosophy of biology.

Support Mindscape on Patreon.

Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024/07/01/281-samir-okasha-on-the-philosophy-of-agency-and-evolution/

Samir Okasha received his D.Phil. in Philosophy from the University of Oxford. He is currently Professor of the Philosophy of Science at the University of Bristol. He is a winner of the Lakatos Award for his book Evolution and the Levels of Selection, and is a Fellow of the British Academy.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.