Article ID: CBB001023966

Weismann, Wittgenstein and the Homunculus Fallacy (2010)

unapi

A problem that has troubled both neo-Darwinists and neo-Lamarckians is whether instincts involve knowledge. This paper discusses the contributions to this problem of the evolutionary biologist August Weismann and the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Weismann discussed an empirical homunculus fallacy: Lamarck's theory mistakenly presupposes a homunculus in the germ cells. Wittgenstein discussed a conceptual homunculus fallacy which applies to Lamarck's theory: it is mistaken to suppose that knowledge is stored in the brain or DNA. The upshot of these two fallacies is that instincts arise through a neo-Darwinian process but are not cognitions in the sense that they involve (the recollection of stored) knowledge. Although neo-Lamarckians have rightly argued that learning processes may contribute to the development of instincts, their ideas about the role of knowledge in the evolution and development of instincts are mistaken.

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Description Discusses the problem addressed by August Weismann and Ludwig Wittgenstein of whether instincts involve knowledge.


Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001023966/

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Authors & Contributors
Jablonka, Eva
Gissis, Snait B.
Sunhee Han
Ceccarelli, David
Gillott, David
Wilkins, Adam
Concepts
Biology
Lamarckism
Evolution
Philosophy of biology
Darwinism
Heredity
Time Periods
19th century
20th century
20th century, early
21st century
20th century, late
18th century
Places
France
United States
Germany
Institutions
Human Genome Project
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