Ghostly whispers: Mayr, Ghiselin, and the “Philosophers” on the ontological status of species

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 510 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0169-3867
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00057962

✦ Synopsis

are those between departments, I would prefer not to discuss these issues in terms of academic disciplines. I think that philosophers of science and scientists are engaged in the same activity. All that distinguishes us is emphasis and training. Mutual understanding would be enhanced if we were somewhat more charitable when we ventured into each other's territories. From my own experience, scientists have been very helpful in clarifying my understanding of various biological phenomena or in leading me to the latest research note. Mayr has been among the most helpful. Thus, I am somewhat dismayed by how frequently he lays the ills of biology at the door of the traditional lovers of wisdom. But perhaps he is reacting quite understandably to the condescension which too often permeates the writings of philosophers of science when they write about the more philosophical efforts of scientists. For what it is worth we would all do better not to be so intellectually territorial. NOTE ' Appreciation is owed to Ernst Mayr and Philip Kitcher for commenting on an earlier draft of this paper. It was written under NSF grant SES-8508505.