Is There an Explanation for … the Diversity of Explanations in Biological Studies?

Abstract

The multiplicity of explanations in the biological sciences has already been amply discussed by philosophers of science. The field of Evo-Devo has been a focus of much attention, with the obvious coexistence and competition of evolutionary and developmental explanations. In this contribution I borrow examples from hugely different areas of biological research to show that this multiplicity of explanations is common to all branches of biology. I will emphasize three explanations for this diversity. The first is the ambiguity of the questions raised, which can be understood in different ways and require different answers. One recurring ambiguity concerns the local or general nature of the questions (and answers). The second explanation is in the historicity of life, which makes every situation unique, and may require different models for the explanation of apparently similar situations. Another cause of this plurality is the existence of long-lasting competing traditions of explanations. These traditions result from the existence of distinct approaches to reality in scientific thinking, such as the opposition between reductionism and holism, and from a complex history of scientific ideas, models, and theories proper to each biological field. The multiplicity of explanations in the biological sciences therefore has a heterogeneous origin, both epistemic and ontological.