Philosophy Now Forum

Our science columnist Massimo Pigliucci on a longstanding problem in biology and how philosophy helps.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/50/Wittgenstein_Solves_Posthumously_the_Species_Problem

Massimo Pigliucci wrote:It is not by chance that Darwin titled the most important book ever written in biology (and possibly in the whole of science), On the Origin of Species.

Absolutely NOT. Darwinism has absolutely nothing to do with neither natural science nor philosophy! Wittgenstein recognized that the theory of Darwin had nothing to do with philosophy. Wittgenstein wrote in the Tractatus:

• Darwin's theory has no more to do with philosophy than any other hypothesis in natural science. [Tractatus 4.1122]

And Charles Darwin himself recognized that his speculations/theories have absolutely nothing to do with true science. According to Charles Darwin himself:

Charles Darwin wrote to Asa Gray on the 18 June 1857:

• It is extremely kind of you to say that my letters have not bored you very much, & it is almost incredible to me, for I am quite conscious that my speculations run quite beyond the bounds of true science.

Complete letter available here: https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/ ... T-2109.xml

Charles Darwin wrote to Asa Gray on the 29 November 1857:

• What you hint at generally is very very true, that my work will be grievously hypothetical & large parts by no means worthy of being called inductive; my commonest error being probably induction from too few facts.

Complete letter: https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter ... -2176.xml

Charles Darwin wrote to Cuthbert Collingwood on the 14th March 1861:

• But I believe in Nat. Selection, not because, I can prove in any single case that it has changed one species into another, but because it groups & explains well (as it seems to me) a host of facts in classification, embryology, morphology, rudimentary organs, geological succession & Distribution.

Complete letter available here: https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/ ... T-3088.xml