2023 – Laws, Models, and Theories in Biology Within a Unifying Structuralist Interpretation: A General Explication and An Account of the Case of Classical Genetics

• “Laws, Models, and Theories in Biology Within a Unifying Structuralist Interpretation: A General Explication and An Account of the Case of Classical Genetics”, in Abreu, C. (ed.), Philosophy of Science in the 21st Century. Contributions of Metatheoretical Structuralism, Florianópolis: NEL-UFSC, 2023, pp. 189-258. ISBN 978-85-8328-232-7.

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the explication of these concepts, and of their relationships, made within the framework of Sneedian or Metatheoretical Structuralism,5 and of their application to a case from the realm of biology: Classical Genetics. The analysis carried out will make it possible to support, contrary to what some philosophers of science in general and of biology in particular hold, the following claims: a) there are “laws” in biological sciences, b) many of the heterogeneous and different “models” of biology can be accommodated under some “theory”, and c) this is exactly what confers great unifying power to biological theories.

To begin with, the structuralist explication of the concepts of law, model and theory will be presented successively, which will be preceded by an introduction to the subject, followed by its application to Classical Genetics. Next, the relevance of the previous analysis to the issues of the existence of laws in biological sciences, the place of models in theories of biology, and the unifying power of biological theories will be stressed. Finally, the article will conclude with a discussion of the presented analysis.

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2023 – «Origin’s Chapter VIII: Darwin for and Against Hybridism»

• “Origin’s Chapter VIII: Darwin for and Against Hybridism”, in Prestes, M. E. B. (ed.), Understanding Evolution in Darwin’s «Origin»: The Emerging Context of Evolutionary Thinking, Berlin: Springer, 2023, pp. 307-320. ISBN: 978-3-031-40164-0. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40165-7_19.

Abstract

The chapter about hybridism written by Darwin falls in the cluster of The Origin of Species which deals with the main difficulties of the theory of descent with modification through natural selection. Darwin’s goal in analyzing the phenomenon of hybridism was to debate the validity of the existence of a fundamental distinction between species and varieties; thus, this discussion addresses an integral part of the so-called species problem, which includes a set of questions about the definition of the concept of species, that is, of what a species is. In this chapter, we analyze the historical background of this debate, from Linnaeus to Kölreuter and Gärtner, and discuss the structure and arguments present in Origin’s Chapter VIII, in which Darwin tackles the problem at hand.

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2023 – «Explicación modeloteórica en Genética Clásica»

• “Explicación modeloteórica en Genética Clásica” (in Spanish) (written with José Díez), in Pereira Martins, L.A.-C., Duque Martínez, L.M., Federico, L., Guerrero Pino, G. and M.M. O’Lery (eds.), Reflexiones filosóficas e históricas: ciencia, enseñanza de la ciencia y política científica, São Carlos: AFHIC-Universidad del Valle, 2023, pp. 89-108. ISBN 978-65-86622-03-4.

Abstract

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar el tipo de explicaciones usualmente dadas en Genética Clásica. El análisis será presentado en el formato tradicional de las explicaciones mediante argumentos. Luego se discutirá la naturaleza de estas explicaciones recurriendo a otra área de conocimiento, a saber: la Mecánica Clásica. A fines de clarificar la situación, y de llevar a cabo un análisis de las explicaciones dadas en genética clásica, se introducirán, y aplicarán a este caso, algunas nociones de la metateoría estructuralista (Balzer, Moulines & Sneed 1987), tales como las de ley fundamental (o principio-guía), ley especial, especialización y red teórica. En esta aplicación se explicitará la ley fundamental/principio-guía de la Genética Clásica. Se concluirá con la discusión del análisis propuesto.

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2023 – «Philosophy of Biology in Latin America»

• Lorenzano, P., “Philosophy of Biology in Latin America”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2023 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phil-bio-latin-america/.

Abstract

This entry has six parts. Sections 1 and 2 provide context for the remainder of the entry. Section 1 gives a brief introduction to philosophy of biology, and Section 2 provides historical background and general characteristics of philosophy of biology in Latin America. Sections 3 through 5 are devoted to the three topics mentioned above: Section 3 to the theme of race, Section 4 to the issue of the nature, structure, and function of biological theories, and Section 5 to the strong connection to history of biology. Section 6 offers final thoughts and considers some future prospects for philosophy of biology in Latin America.

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2023 – «Paradigm»

• Lorenzano, P., “Paradigm”, in Mattingly, J. (ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Vol. 1, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2023, pp. 633-638. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781071872383.n145.

Abstract

This entry will focus on these Kuhnian concepts of paradigm. After a brief introduction to Kuhn’s paradigms, it will first place the Kuhnian conception in the context of 20th century philosophy of science. Kuhn’s concepts of paradigm will then be outlined. Next, it will be seen how these concepts explain the pattern or regularity that Kuhn identifies in the development of science. It will continue with the identification of some relations of Kuhn’s proposal with the classical philosophy of science. Finally, it will be concluded by pointing out some further developments [and aftermath] of Kuhn’s paradigms.

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2022 – «Ley»

• Lorenzano, P., «Ley» (“Law”) (in Spanish), in Galindo, J. and M. Martínez (coords.), Diccionario de biología evolutiva para las ciencias sociales y las humanidades, México: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Unidad Cuajimalpa, 2022, pp. 333-339.

Abstract

Se trata de una breve presentación histórica y sistemática del concepto de ley.

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2022 – «An Analysis of Mendel’s Two Hybridist Theories and their Intertheoretical Relationships»

• Lorenzano, P., “An Analysis of Mendel’s Two Hybridist Theories and their Intertheoretical Relationships”, Folia Mendeliana 58(2) (2022): 45-72. ISSN: 0085-0748.

Abstract

Based on a statistical analysis of his experiments, which was a novelty for the tradition of “horticulturalists” (or “plant breeders”) as well as for the tradition of “hybridists”, and seeking a “generally applicable law governing the formation and development of hybrids” (Mendel 1865: 3), Mendel states “the law of development/evolution found for Pisum” (Mendel 1865: 32). When he tries to provide the “foundation and explanation” (Mendel 1865: 32) of the law of formation and development of hybrids, he does it in terms of the production and behavior of egg cells and pollen cells, and, ultimately, in terms of the nature and behavior of what he calls “elements” (Mendel 1865: 41) or “cell elements” (Mendel 1865: 42). Moreover, Mendel recognizes the existence not just of hybrids that behave like those of Pisum ‒ i.e., of “variable hybrids” ‒ but also of hybrids that “remain perfectly like the hybrid and continue constant in their offspring” (Mendel 1865: 38) and “acquire the status of new species” (Mendel 1865: 40) ‒ i.e., of “constant hybrids” (Mendel 1869: 27-28, 31). The law that would govern the behavior of constant hybrids would also find its foundation and explanation in terms of the nature and behavior of elements (or cell elements). Mendel’s hybridism consists of two theories: a theory that moves on a more “empirical” level, according to Schleiden’s first “special guiding maxim”, the “Maxim of the history of development/evolution” (Schleiden 1849: 141,142, 146), which can be called “Mendel’s theory of the development/evolution of hybrids” (DEH), and a theory that moves on a more “theoretical” level, according to Schleiden’s second “special guiding maxim”, the “Maxim of the autonomy of cells in plants” (Schleiden 1849: 146, 148), which can be called “Mendel’s theory of the cellular foundation of the development/evolution of hybrids” (CFH).

The paper aims to present an analysis of these two theories and their intertheoretical relationships, carried out within the framework of the so-called Metatheoretical Structuralism (Balzer, Moulines & Sneed 1987).

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2022 – «Scientific Explanation as Ampliative, Specialized Embedding: The Case of Classical Genetics»

• Lorenzano, P. & J. A. Díez, “Scientific Explanation as Ampliative, Specialized Embedding: The Case of Classical Genetics”, Synthese 200 (2022): 510. ISSN: 1573-0964. eISSN: 1573-0964. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-022-03983-6.

Abstract

Explanations in genetics have intriguing aspects to both biologists and philosophers, and there is no account that satisfactorily elucidates such explanations. The aim of this article is to analyze the kind of explanations usually given in Classical (Transmission) Genetics (CG) and to present in detail the application of an account of explanation as ampliative, specialized nomological embedding to elucidate the such explanations. First, we present explanations in CG in the classical format of inferences with the explanans as the premises and the explanandum as the conclusion and compare them with explanations in other paradigmatic explanatory fields such as Classical Mechanics. Second, we summarize the main aspects discussed in the literature with regard the peculiarities of genetic explanations. Third, we introduce the account of scientific explanation as ampliative, specialized nomological embedding making use of Sneedian structuralism, in particular the notions of theory-net, fundamental law or guiding principle, specialization, and special laws. Finally, we apply this account to the case of CG and show that this analysis sheds light to the intriguing aspects of genetic explanations and remove most of their alleged oddities.

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2016 – Modelos y teorías en biología

• Blanco, D., Ginnobili, S. y P. Lorenzano (eds.), Modelos y teorías en biología (Partes I & II), volumen temático de Metatheoria. Revista de Filosofía e Historia de la Ciencia (Metatheoria. Journal of Philosophy and History of Science/Metatheoria. Revista de Filosofia e História da Ciência), Vol. 6, No. 2 (2016): 1-106; Vol. 7, No. 1 (2016): 1-72. Buenos Aires: Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero. ISSN: 1853-2322. eISSN: 1853-2330. https://doi.org/10.48160/18532330me6.2; https://doi.org/10.48160/ 18532330me7.1

Se trata del volumen temático Modelos y teorías en biología, de la revista Metatheoria. Su índice es el siguiente:

Volumen especial – Modelos y teorías en biología – Parte I

Artículos

Daniel Blanco, Santiago Ginnobili, Pablo Lorenzano: Prefacio

Pablo Lorenzano: Introducción: Modelos y teorías en biología

César Lorenzano: La epistemología médica de Claude Bernard

Gustavo Caponi: La Biología Evolucionaria Desenvolvimiental y el surgimiento de una nueva teoría de la evolución

Daniel Blanco: Cambios periféricos en el desarrollo de la teoría de la selección natural

Santiago Ginnobili: Algunas relaciones entre el holismo de la confirmación y el holismo semántico: estudio de caso

Volumen especial – Modelos y teorías en biología – Parte II

Artículos

Roman Frigg: Los modelos y la ficción

María de las Mercedes O’Lery: Modelos y aserción empírica: el modelo de doble hélice para la concepción semántica de la ciencia

João Queiroz, Claus Emmeche, Charbel El-Hani: Base para una teoría semántico/pragmática de la información genética

Ana Donolo, Lucía Federico, Pablo Lorenzano: La estructura de la bioquímica metabólica

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2015 – Estructuralismo metateórico: algunos desarrollos y aplicaciones recientes

• Lorenzano, P. y A. García de la Sienra (eds.), Estructuralismo metateórico: algunos desarrollos y aplicaciones recientes (Partes I & II), volumen temático de Metatheoria. Revista de Filosofía e Historia de la Ciencia (Metatheoria. Journal of Philosophy and History of Science/Metatheoria. Revista de Filosofia e História da Ciência), Vol. 5, No. 2 (2015): 1-97; Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015): 1-78. Buenos Aires: Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero. ISSN: 1853-2322. eISSN: 1853-2330. https://doi.org/10.48160/18532330me5.2; https://doi.org/10.48160/18532330me6.1

Se trata del volumen temático Estructuralismo metateórico: algunos desarrollos y aplicaciones recientes, de la revista Metatheoria. Su índice es el siguiente:

Volumen especial – Estructuralismo metateórico: algunos desarrollos y aplicaciones recientes – Parte I

Artículos

Adolfo García de la Sienra y Pablo Lorenzano: Prefacio

C. Ulises Moulines: Introducción: Las concepciones modelísticas y la concepción estructuralista de las teorías

José A. Díez: Diez tesis metaestructuralistas

Xavier de Donato Rodríguez y Marek Polanski: Idealización: concepción estructuralista y generalización modelo-teórica

José Luis Liñán: Conceptos científicos y sentido común: una aproximación pragmatista a la ontosemántica estructural

Juan Manuel Jaramillo Uribe: Problemas sobre la contrastación de teorías en su representación modelística

Volumen especial – Estructuralismo metateórico: algunos desarrollos y aplicaciones recientes – Parte II

Artículos

César Lorenzano: La teoría freudiana de la histeria. Una reconstrucción nominalista

Adriana Gonzalo: Reconstrucción formal, interpretación y elección

Luis Miguel Peris-Viñé: Buscando condiciones de adecuación para la reconstrucción de teorías

Christián C. Carman: El Sistema de Epiciclos y Deferentes de Ptolomeo: una reconstrucción

Jesús Lara Popoca: Un modelo para la música: teoría del ritmo

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