Contributions to the History of Psychology: XCV. Possible Relations between Theories of Evolution and Animal Learning

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse E. Purdy ◽  
Arthur Harriman ◽  
Joseph Molitorisz
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
World View ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
History Of ◽  
Theories Of Evolution

It is proposed that the dominance of continuity learning theory as set against noncontinuity learning theory during the middle third of the 20th century rested importantly on its derivation from Darwin's theory of evolution. The kinship is shown in several ways. First, Thorndike and Hull echoed the principle of natural selection in their belief that behaviors underwent gradual modification because acts that were attended steadily by favorable consequences tended to occur with increasing frequency. Second, they denied both nonphysical explanations of behavior and a priori purposes which might guide that behavior. Third, the laws of learning were said to hold for all organisms. It is argued that the continuity approach may have enjoyed success because it was consistent with the Darwinian world view. Had punctualist, rather than gradualist, explanations of evolution come to the fore in the late 19th century, learning theories might have proceeded quite differently with the dominance of noncontinuity approaches.

Divergence and Possible Consilience Between Evolutionary Biology and Sociology

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Machalek
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
American Sociology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection

During its emergence as a new academic discipline in the late 19th century, sociology was influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. By the mid-20th century, however, biological thinking in general and evolutionary theory in particular had waned in influence in American sociology. This began to change during the last quarter of the 20th century—a development due in large part to the work of Edward O. Wilson, a prominent biologist and one of the founders of sociobiology. By the dawn of the 21st century, evolutionary thinking had again gained a foothold in the social sciences, including sociology. However, full consilience between evolutionary biology and sociology has not yet been achieved. This chapter reviews issues in terms of which evolutionary biology and sociology converge in some instances and diverge in others. The chapter concludes with an assessment of the prospects for the development of a robust evolutionary sociology.

The Darwinian Outlook

2021 ◽  
pp. 53-63
Author(s):  
Franklin M. Harold
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Gene Transfer ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Lateral Gene Transfer ◽  
Eukaryotic Cell ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Research Challenges ◽  
Gene Level ◽  
History Of

The contemporary view of evolution crystallized in the mid-20th century in a hard-edged form that puts genes central: It sees organisms as vehicles for their genes, the material basis of the instructions encoded therein. Heredity, variation, natural selection, and adaptation all result from events that take place at the gene level. Organisms evolve by small mutational steps, never by sudden jumps. Mutations occur at random, not in response to need. Acquired characteristics are never inherited. Ongoing research challenges all these premises, and reinforces the criticism that the received doctrine is too narrow. Two important sources of novelty are lateral gene transfer across all boundaries, and the creation of new patterns of order by symbiosis. (The origin and history of the eukaryotic cell is a prime example.) In the renovated synthesis now emerging, genes retain their hold on organismal identity that is passed from parents to offspring and not easily altered. But this genetic framework is supplemented by a variety of more cellular mechanisms to acquire new traits, making cells more flexible and cohesive than imagined in classical theory.

Beyond Neoliberalism

2021 ◽  
pp. 132-161
Author(s):  
Christina Ergas
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Economic ◽  
World View ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Western Thought ◽  
Green Technologies ◽  
Social Inequity ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Economic Paradigm ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fierce Competition

Chapter 4 explains the cultural stories and values that bolster the neoliberal paradigm, one that shapes exploitative socioecological relationships. It argues that ideas have consequences and details the history of Western thought—such as Descartes’ hierarchical dualisms and social sciences’ profound misunderstanding of Darwin’s theory of evolution—that brought extreme individualization, inequality, and fierce competition. These stories and values promote ideas that humans have moral dominion over nature and man has dominion over woman. This world view justifies social inequity as well as humans’ exploitation of other species and the environment. These codified stories and values perpetuate humans’ acts of harm against others and the planet. The chapter further discusses how and why economic context matters in shaping paths of resistance and co-opting alternative and green technologies. It explains the need to scale up socioecological values first in order to cultivate the underlying framework for a new environmental economic paradigm.

scholarly journals GLOBALISM OF EVOLUTIONISM

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (S2) ◽  
pp. 115-136
Author(s):  
Bernard Hałaczek
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Evolutionary Psychology ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Mental Abilities ◽  
Human Desire ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
Social Behaviours

The phenomenon of globalization, which is well known in the economy, can nowadays be observed also in the area of science. It is based on the fact that more and more scientific disciplines are applying the same explanatory principle, namely the theory of evolution. Therefore, every development, including that of man, according to the pattern of genetic reproduction, takes place on the basis of natural selection. With psychological properties, mental abilities and social behaviours, which are eloquently referred to as “memes”, it is as with genes: only those that are better, stronger, more capable of surviving will survive after accidental changes and only they will be passed on. In short, reproduction regulates and controls human behaviour. Such a way of thinking and explanation can be found today in many publications on sociobiology and evolutionary psychology. Even if they present many new details, they pay tribute to the old human desire to explain everything in a simple way, according to the same scheme. The same expectation towards science was expressed by E. Haeckel in the 19th century and J. Monod in the 20th century. However, when these two biologists explained man as a whole based on the theory of evolution, they admitted that they referred to philosophy, to which contemporary representatives of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology cannot or do not want to confess.

scholarly journals History and Recent Advances in Microsurgery

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyokyung Yoo ◽  
Byung Jun Kim
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Operating Microscope ◽  
History Of Surgery ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
History Of ◽  
Instruments And Techniques ◽  
The 1960S

Since the late 19th century, microsurgery has achieved many miracles in history of surgery. With the development of microsurgical instruments and techniques, especially the first operating microscope invented by Carl Zeiss in 1953, the limitations steadily decreased and finally reached a limitless level of today’s supermicrosurgery. The chronological history of microsurgery can be divided into four periods: the beginning period of the late 19th to early 20th century when the essential microsurgical tools and concepts were established; the successful replantation of amputated extremities in the 1960s; the development of various kinds of flap in the 1980s; and the fully-matured period of today. This article reviews the milestones in the history of microsurgery, evaluates the recent advances, as well as microsurgery in Korea.

‘Hurrah for the missing link!’: a history of apes, ancestors and a crucial piece of evidence

2011 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C. Kjærgaard
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Missing Link ◽  
Origin Of Species ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
History Of ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection

In the nineteenth century the idea of a ‘missing link’ connecting humans with the rest of the animal kingdom was eagerly embraced by professional scientists and popularizers. After the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species in 1859, many tied the idea and subsequent search for a crucial piece of evidence to Darwin and his formulation of the theory of evolution by natural selection. This article demonstrates that the expression was widely used and that the framework for discussions about human's relation to the apes and gaps in the fossil record were well in place and widely debated long before Origin of Species became the standard reference for discussing human evolution. In the second half of the century the missing link gradually became the ultimate prize in palaeoanthropology and grew into one of the most powerful, celebrated and criticized icons of human evolution.

Darwin’s legacy II: why biology is not physics, or why it has taken a century to see the dependence of genes on the environment

Genome ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rama S. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
The Other ◽  
Paradigm Change ◽  
Phenotypic Evolution ◽  
Direct Role ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Genes And Environment ◽  
Teleological Interpretation

Genes and environment make the organism. Darwin stood firm in his denial of any direct role of environment in the modification of heredity. His theory of evolution heralded two debates: one about the importance and adequacy of natural selection as the main mechanism of evolution, and the other about the role of genes versus environment in the modification of phenotype and evolution. Here, I provide an overview of the second debate and show that the reasons for the gene versus environment battle were twofold: first, there was confusion about the role of environment in modifying the inheritance of a trait versus the evolution of that trait, and second, there was misunderstanding about the meaning of environment and its interaction with genes in the production of phenotypes. It took nearly a century to see that environment does not directly affect the inheritance of a phenotype (i.e., its heredity), but it is nevertheless the primary mover of phenotypic evolution. Effects of genes and environment are not separate but interdependent. One cannot separate the effect of genes from that of environment, or nature from nurture. To answer the question posed in the title, it is partly because the 20th century has been a century of unending progress in genetics. But also because unlike physics, biology is not colorblind; progress in biology has often been delayed beyond the Kuhnian paradigm change due to built-in interest in negating the influence of environment. Those who are against evolution, of course, cannot be expected to understand the role of environment in evolution. Those for it, many biologists included, believing in the supremacy of genes empowers them by giving adaptation a solely gene-directed (self-driven) “teleological” interpretation.

Considering the Role and Nature of the Scientist

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serap Öz Aydın
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
History Of Science ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
Science Approach ◽  
History Of ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection ◽  
Scientific Framework

For many students, preconceived notions about Darwin are among the most significant obstacles in learning about the theory of evolution by natural selection. I present an activity designed to eliminate this obstacle and encourage empathizing with Darwin, utilizing the history-of-science approach. Through the activity, students’ negative thoughts about Darwin disappeared, Darwin’s position as a scientist came to the fore, students’ interest in evolution increased, and they started to discuss the theory within a scientific framework.

Guillotine tonsillectomy: a glimpse into its history and current status in the United Kingdom

2002 ◽  
Vol 116 (12) ◽  
pp. 988-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mathews ◽  
J. Lancaster ◽  
I. Sherman ◽  
G. O. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Reliable Method ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Postal Questionnaire ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
History Of

Guillotine tonsillectomy was the widely practised technique of tonsillectomy in the late 19th century as it was considered a quick and reliable method of removing tonsils. It fell into disrepute in the early 20th century. This paper reviews the history of the origin of the tonsillotome and traces the various modifications over the last few centuries. The current practice of guillotine tonsillectomy is examined by means of a postal questionnaire surveyof all UK consultants.

LIVING MATTER AND BIOSPHEROLOGY CONCEPTS OF V.I. VERNADSKY

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-269
Author(s):  
Guenzel Guegamian
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Soil Science ◽  
Living Matter ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Late 20Th Century ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
History Of ◽  
Philosophical Debates ◽  
First Time

The article takes us back to the origins of the living matter idea that resulted in basis of V.I. Vernadsky theory of living matter. Also, the article deals with appearance of biospherology as a scientific branch, formed in the late 20th century and developed ideas of V.V. Dokuchaev and V.I. Vernadsky. The article provides an in-depth analysis of research papers, letters and documents by Vernadsky and his contemporaries, as well as his followers N.V. Timofeev-Resovsky, A.N. Tyuryukanov and others, worked in a range of disciplines from theory of evolution, microbiology and genetics to soil science, radiobiology, biochemistry and biogeocenology. They further developed Vernadsky’s ideas and formulated the global problem called Biosphere and Humankind. The author raises relevant issues of the theory of living matter current significance and suggests answers on some of them based on Vernadsky’s works. For the first time, the article sheds some light on one of the most fascinating pages in the history of science in the late 20th century including heated scientific and philosophical debates about how the newly emerging field of the Earth biosphere study should be called. The author of the paper suggested calling it biospherology, in a paper pubished in 1980.

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