EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AND THE AXIOMATIC METHOD REVISITED
EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AND THE AXIOMATIC METHOD REVISITED

Summary/Abstract: In evolutionary biology there has never been reached a consensus regarding the manner of presenting its theory. According to the skeptical view, evolutionary biology cannot even be presented as a proper scientifi c theory because of its lack of uncontroversial laws. The skepticism, however, is not shared by the logicians of science, who claim that biological explanations can be molded into proper theories by means of logical reconstruction. In this paper I will address three developments of the axiomatic method in evolutionary biology : the hypothetical-deductive, the semantic and, perhaps the most recent one, the natural deduction method. I will point out that the key concept in fi guring out the logical structure of evolutionary theory concerns deductive consequence. Then I will argue that a syntactic approach to deduction in the sense of the third method might be the most promising option. Eventually, I will claim this approach does half justice to the skeptical view that there are no uncontroversial laws in evolutionary biology.

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