Three Studies in the Theory of Function
Contributors: Boyle, Matthew; Nickel, Bernhard; Hall, Ned
Published: 2012
Language: eng
Description: My dissertation studies three problems that threaten our functional explanatory practices. The first study, The Normativity Problem and Theories of Biological Function, attempts to explain how it is that biological tokens can perform their functions better or worse, and can retain their functions even when not currently performing them. Etiological theories can try to account for the normativity of functions by cumulative selection or by their contributions to fitness. I argue that neither strategy succeeds. Systemic theories hold that functions are the causal contributions of systemic components to the overall capacities of their containing systems. At first glance, systemic theories do not explain the normativity of functions either. I argue that adding a feedback condition to systemic theories can account for the normativity of functions.
Notes: Keywords: etiological, explanation, function, malfunction, necessitation, systemic.

Thesis Ph.D. Harvard University 2012