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Wat Is Een Soort? Een Filosofische Analyse

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Wat Is Een Soort? Een Filosofische Analyse Wat is een soort? Een filosofische analyse Aantal woorden: < 51.947 > Florian Vanhaute Studentennummer: 01308107 Promotor: Prof. dr. Johan Braeckman Masterproef voorgelegd voor het behalen van de graad Master in de richting Wijsbegeerte Academiejaar: 2017 - 2018 Word Count Word Count 1: 51.947 Word Count 2: 57.333 Promotor: Prof. dr. Johan Braeckman Lezers: Prof. dr. Erik Weber & dr. Alexis De Tiège i Woord Vooraf De idee voor het onderwerp van deze thesis is ontstaan tijdens een van de colleges Grondige Vraagstukken in de Wijsgerige Anthropologie, toen prof. dr. Braeckman een verwijzing maakte naar de discipline Philosophy of Biology, waar ik voorheen nog niet van gehoord had. Er bleek een hele tak binnen de wetenschapsfilosofie te bestaan, die gewijd is aan de biologie, haar problemen en vooral de gevolgen van deze problemen. Een groot deel van de interesse gaat naar onderzoek in de evolutionaire biologie, maar ook andere onderwerpen, zoals de eugenetica, zijn vaak voer voor discussie tussen biologen en filosofen. Na een kort overleg met prof. dr. Braeckman bleven er twee onderwerpen over die in aanmerking kwamen als onderwerp van deze verhandeling, namelijk mijn eigen voorstel, individualiteit bij biologische organismen, en prof. dr. Braeckman zijn voorstel, de problematiek rond soorten. Dit tweede onderwerp heeft de laatste jaren voor veel controverse gezorgd bij biologen onderling, maar is er ook in was geslaagd om filosofen in de discussie te betrekken, die het niet alleen niet eens raken met de biologen, maar ook niet met elkaar. Prof. dr. Braeckman waarschuwde mij dan ook dat dit onderwerp zeer interessant is door de vele verschillende meningen en de hoeveelheid aan literatuur, maar het daarom ook een moeilijker onderwerp zou zijn dan mijn eigen voorstel, omdat het veel lees- en selectiewerk zou vragen. Als er iets is dat ik tijdens deze studie geleerd heb, is het wel dat dat deze stelling klopt. Hieruit kan de lezer dus afleiden dat het, ondanks, maar misschien ook wel mede de waarschuwing, dit tweede voorstel geworden is: de soortenproblematiek binnen de biologie. Het is zonder twijfel een interessant onderwerp gebleken om meerdere redenen. Er zijn de laatste 2500 jaar zeer verschillende meningen geopperd, maar is men het onder historici ook niet eens wat deze standpunten precies waren. Hiernaast zijn er een 30-tal verschillende moderne soortconcepten die in een zekere impasse vastzitten. Als kers op de taart wordt er ook twijfel gezaaid over het feit of soorten eigenlijk wel bestaan en wat ze zijn als ze zouden bestaan. Voor deze verhandeling ben ik dank verschuldigd aan mijn promotor, prof. dr. Johan Braeckman, en mijn vader, Rob Vanhaute, voor het proeflezen van grote stukken tekst, hun inzicht en commentaar, en steun. iii Inhoudstabel Woord Vooraf ......................................................................................................................................... i Inhoudstabel ........................................................................................................................................ iii Lijst van Gebruikte Afkortingen ............................................................................................................. v I. Soortconcepten ......................................................................................................................... v II. Andere afkortingen ................................................................................................................... v Lijst van Figuren en Tabellen ............................................................................................................... vii Inleiding ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Historisch overzicht ............................................................................................................................. 11 1. Mayrs Uiteenzetting .................................................................................................................... 14 I. De Prehistorie en de Oudheid ................................................................................................. 14 1) Plato (428-348 v.o.t.) ........................................................................................................... 15 2) Aristoteles (384-322 v.o.t.) .................................................................................................. 16 II. De Christelijke Wereld ............................................................................................................. 18 III. De Renaissance ....................................................................................................................... 19 IV. De Verlichting ......................................................................................................................... 21 V. Darwin ..................................................................................................................................... 23 2. The Essentialism Story ................................................................................................................. 24 I. Een Alternatieve Lezing ........................................................................................................... 26 Biologische Concepten ........................................................................................................................ 34 1. Fenetische Soortconcepten ......................................................................................................... 38 I. Phenetic Species Concept (PhSC) ............................................................................................ 38 II. Morphological Species Concept (MSC) ................................................................................... 39 III. Taxonomic Species Concept (TSC) ........................................................................................... 41 IV. Problemen met de Fenetische Soortconcepten ...................................................................... 42 2. Proces-gebaseerde Soortconcepten ........................................................................................... 44 I. Biological Species Concept (BSC) ............................................................................................. 44 II. Recognition Species Concept (RSC) ......................................................................................... 48 III. Ecological Species Concept (EcSC) .......................................................................................... 51 IV. Cohesion Species Concept (CSC) ............................................................................................. 54 3. Patroon-gebaseerde Soortconcepten ......................................................................................... 56 I. Evolutionary Species Concept (ESC) ........................................................................................ 57 II. Phylogenetic Species Concept (PSC) ....................................................................................... 60 1) Diagnostische vorm (PSC1) .................................................................................................. 60 2) Monofyletische vorm (PSC2) ................................................................................................ 62 III. Cladistic Species Concept (ClSC) ............................................................................................. 64 4. Het Ideale Soortconcept .............................................................................................................. 65 5. Voorlopige conclusie ................................................................................................................... 68 Filosofische problemen ....................................................................................................................... 69 1. De Realiteit van de Soort en haar Gevolgen ............................................................................... 70 I. Zijn Soorten Unieke Entiteiten? .............................................................................................. 74 II. De Waarde van het Bestaan van Soorten ............................................................................... 75 2. De Identiteit van Soorten ............................................................................................................ 78 I. Soortentaxa zijn Klassen .......................................................................................................... 78 1) Natural kinds ....................................................................................................................... 78 2) Sets ...................................................................................................................................... 81 II. Soortentaxa zijn Individuen ..................................................................................................... 82 III. Soortentaxa zijn Geslachten ................................................................................................... 86 IV. De Waarde van deze Discussie ............................................................................................... 88 3. Filosofische Attitudes .................................................................................................................. 91 I. Nominalisme ..........................................................................................................................
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