Repository | Book | Chapter
(1985) Sociobiology and epistemology, Dordrecht, Springer.
A review of some standard philosophical criticisms of methodological behaviorism shows that the only substantive challenge to that position allows that there may be research programs in which behaviorism is an appropriate methodological stance. Evolutionary biology provides some cases in point. Behaviorist assumptions are at work in sociobiological arguments, in some models of cultural evolution, and in game theory. The defects that there may be in these approaches do not include the behaviorist assumption. The perspective developed throws light on the charge that sociobiology uses anthropomorphic descriptors of the traits it investigates.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-009-5370-3_9
Full citation:
Sober, E. (1985)., Methodological behaviorism, evolution, and game theory, in J. H. Fetzer (ed.), Sociobiology and epistemology, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 181-200.
This document is unfortunately not available for download at the moment.