Titre du document / Document title

Ecological kinds and ecological laws = Les espèces et les lois écologiques

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

MIKKELSON Gregory M. ⁽¹⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Department of Philosophy and School of the Environment, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T5, CANADA

Résumé / Abstract

Ecologists typically invoke law-like generalizations, ranging over structural and/or functional kinds, in order to explain generalizations about historical kinds (such as biological taxa)-rather than vice versa. This practice is justified, since structural and functional kinds tend to correlate better with important ecological phenomena than do historical kinds. I support these contentions with three recent case studies. In one sense, therefore, ecology is, and should be, more nomothetic, or law-oriented, than idiographic, or historically oriented. This conclusion challenges several recent philosophical claims about the nature of ecological science.

Revue / Journal Title

Philosophy of science   ISSN 0031-8248   CODEN PHSCA6 

Source / Source

Congrès
Biennal Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association N^o18, Milwaukee, Wisconsin , ETATS-UNIS (07/11/2002)
2003, vol. 70, n^o 5 (660 p.)  [Document : 11 p.] (1 p.1/4), pp. 1390-1400 [11 page(s) (article)]

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, ETATS-UNIS  (1934) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Taxinomy ; Explanation ; Environment ; History ; Functionalism ; Structure ; Species;Kind ; Generalization ; Scientific Law ; Ecology ; Science philosophy ; Set of articles ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Taxinomie ; Explication ; Environnement ; Histoire ; Fonctionnalisme ; Structure ; Espèce ; Généralisation ; Loi scientifique ; Ecologie ; Philosophie des sciences ; Recueil d'articles ;

Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords

TaxonomÍa ; Historia ; Estructura ; EcologÍa ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 24348, 35400011144772.0440