The Conflation of “Chance” in Evolution

Pence, Charles
(2011) ISHPSSB 2011 — Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA (10.July.2011)

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Abstract
Literature on the role of “chance” in evolutionary theory exhibits a dizzying array of claims – from “randomness” in genetic drift and mutation to “propensities” in fitness and “contingency” in macroevolution. I argue that much of this diversity is due to the persistent conflation of several senses of “chance,” and a corresponding failure to determine which sense is at issue in any particular biological instance.
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Pence, C. (2011). The Conflation of “Chance” in Evolution. ISHPSSB 2011, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/92481