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At last: Serious consideration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2001

David L. Hull
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 d-hull@northwestern.edu
Rodney E. Langman
Affiliation:
Conceptual Immunology Group, Salk Institute, La Jolla CA 92037 langman@salk.edu www.cig.salk.edu
Sigrid S. Glenn
Affiliation:
Department of Behavior Analysis, University of North Texas, Denton TX 76203 glenn@scs.unt.edu

Abstract

For a long time, several natural phenomena have been considered unproblematically selection processes in the same sense of “selection.” In our target article we dealt with three of these phenomena: gene-based selection in biological evolution, the reaction of the immune system to antigens, and operant learning. We characterize selection in terms of three processes (variation, replication, and environmental interaction) resulting in the evolution of lineages via differential replication. Our commentators were largely supportive with respect to variation and environmental interaction but critical with respect to replication, in particular its appeal to information. With some reservations, our commentators think that our general analysis of selection may fit gene-based selection in biological evolution and the reaction of the immune system but not operant learning. If nothing else, this article shows that the notion of selection is not as straightforward as it may seem.

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Author's Response
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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