Walsh on causes and evolution

Abstract

Denis Walsh has written a striking new defense in this journal of the statisticalist (i.e.,noncausalist) position regarding the forces of evolution. I defend the causalist view against his new objections. I argue that the heart of the issue lies in the nature of nonadditive causation. Detailed consideration of that turns out to defuse Walsh's 'description-dependence' critique of causalism. Nevertheless, the critique does suggest a basis for reconciliation between the two competing views. Copyright 2010 by the Philosophy of Science Association. All rights reserved.