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Group-level traits are not units of selection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2014

Carlos Santana  and
Michael Weisberg
Carlos Santana
Affiliation:
Institute for Research in Cognitive Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6228. csantana@sas.upenn.edu Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304. weisberg@phil.upenn.edu http://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg
Michael Weisberg
Affiliation:
Institute for Research in Cognitive Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6228. csantana@sas.upenn.edu Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304. weisberg@phil.upenn.edu http://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg
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Abstract

We argue that Smaldino has not established that group-level traits constitute a unit of selection distinct from selection on individuals, as group-level traits are neither replicators nor interactors. Moreover, we argue that Wimsatt's analysis of emergence and aggregativity supports an understanding of group-level and other emergent traits as explanatorily reducible to the individual level.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 37 , Issue 3 , June 2014 , pp. 271 - 272
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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References

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