Tag Archives: History
Modus Darwin and the *real* modus darvinii
Elliot Sober has published a claim (Sober 1999, Sober 2008: §4.1, 265ff) that Darwin used, and we should too, a particular syllogism: similarity, ergo common ancestry. This cannot be right, for several reasons: logical, historical and inferential. First the logical, … Continue reading
Intelligent designoids are unsure about me
Normally I wouldn’t link to these guys, but I’m having a kind of odd week with the ID crowd. On the one hand the ever reliable Casey Luskin has declared I am condescending for suggesting we teach science free of … Continue reading
Filed under Creationism and Intelligent Design, Evolution, History, Species concept
My talk online
The Australian Broadcasting Commission, or ABC, radio show on science, Ockham’s Razor (named after some philosophy guy), has finally played my talk on species concept history and the death of essentialist stories. You can go listen to it here. The … Continue reading
Filed under Administrative, History, Species concept
“Species” an ALA Choice Book
I take what plaudits I can: Choice, from The American Library Association, has listed my book Species: A History of the Idea as an “Outstanding Academic Title” for 2010, a list they release each each January. Their criteria are: overall … Continue reading
Filed under Book, History, Species concept
A paperback of Species: A History
My not-inconsiderable ego has expanded several sizes upon the news from University of California Press that my book Species: A History of the Idea (see at right or on the My Books page) is to become a paperback. I hope … Continue reading
Filed under Administrative, Book, History, Species and systematics, Species concept
Wilkins on radio
Here. The actual recording is not being played until 23 January…
Filed under History, Species and systematics, Species concept
Darwin’s motivation
For some time now I have been convinced that Darwin’s original and most pressing problem was not adaptation. It was the existence of taxonomic diversity. I have thought that the debates over what was a natural classification amongst the unjustly … Continue reading
Filed under Evolution, History, Species and systematics, Species concept, Systematics
Academic genealogies
Wasting time usefully with my friend and co-student of Gareth Nelson, Malte Ebach, we wondered what our academic genealogies were. My thesis advisors were Gareth J. Nelson and Neil Thomason. Gary was advised by William A. Gosline (1915-2002), who was … Continue reading
Filed under Administrative, History, Humor
Young links
A bit of reading.
Filed under Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Evolution, General Science, History, Links, Philosophy, Religion, Science
