Cogprints

Individualism and Evolutionary Psychology (or: In Defense of 'Narrow' Functions)

Buller, David J. (1997) Individualism and Evolutionary Psychology (or: In Defense of 'Narrow' Functions). [Journal (Paginated)]

Full text available as:

[img] HTML
72Kb

Abstract

Millikan and Wilson argue, for different reasons, that the essential reference to the environment in adaptationist explanations of behavior makes (psychological) individualism inconsistent with evolutionary psychology. I show that their arguments are based on misinterpretations of the role of reference to the environment in such explanations. By exploring these misinterpretations, I develop an account of explanation in evolutionary psychology that is fully consistent with individualism. This does not, however, constitute a full-fledged defense of individualism, since evolutionary psychology is only one explanatory paradigm among many in psychology.

Item Type:Journal (Paginated)
Keywords:individualism, behavioral ecology, function, etiological theory, proximate mechanisms, selection
Subjects:Biology > Animal Behavior
Biology > Ethology
Psychology > Cognitive Psychology
Philosophy > Philosophy of Mind
Philosophy > Philosophy of Science
Psychology > Psychobiology
ID Code:328
Deposited By: Buller, David J.
Deposited On:18 Jun 1998
Last Modified:11 Mar 2011 08:53

Metadata

Repository Staff Only: item control page