Evolutionary Theory in Social Science PDF
Preview Evolutionary Theory in Social Science
EVOLUTIONARY THEORY IN SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORY AND DECISION LIBRARY General Editors: W. Leinfellner and G. Eberlein Series A: Philosophy and Methodology of the Social Sciences Editors: W. Leinfellner (Technical University of Vienna) G. Eberlein (Technical University of Munich) Series B: Mathematical and Statistical Methods Editor: H. Skala (University of Paderborn) Series C: Game Theory, Mathematical Programming and Mathematical Economics Editor: S. Tijs (University of Nijmegen) Series D: System Theory, Knowledge Engineering and Problem Solving Editor: W. lanko (University of Vienna) SERIES A: PHILOSOPHY AND METHODOLOGY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES Editors: W. Leinfellner (Technical University of Vienna) G. Eberlein (Technical University of Munich) Editorial Board M. Bunge (Montreal), l. S. Coleman (Chicago), M. Dogan (Paris), 1. Elster (Oslo), L. Kern (Munich), I. Levi (New York), R. Mattessich (Vancouver), A. Rapoport (Toronto),A. Sen (Oxford), R. Tuomela (Helsinki), A. Tversky (Stanford). Scope This series deals with the foundations, the general methodology and the criteria, goals and purpose of the social sciences. The emphasis in the new Series A will be on well-argued, thoroughly analytical rather than advanced mathematical treatments. In this context, particular attention will be paid to game and decision theory and general philosophical topics from mathematics, psychology and economics, such as game theory, voting and welfare theory, with applications to political science, sociology, law and ethics. EVOLUTIONARY THEORY IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Edited by MICHAEL SCHMID University ofA ugsburg, Department of Sociology, Augsburg, F.R.G. and FRANZ M. WUKETITS University of Vienna, Department ofP hilosophy ofS cience, Vienna. Austria D. REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY A MEMBER OF THE KLUWER . ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS GROUP DORDRECHT/BOSTON/LANCASTER/TOKYO Libnry of Congress Cataloging in Pnb6cation Data Evolutionary theory in social science' edited by Michael Schmid and Franz M. Wuketits. p. cm.-(Theory and decision library. Series A, Philosophy and methodology of the social sciences) Bibliography: p. Includes indexes. Contents: Basic structures in human action' Peter Meyer-Evolutionary models and social theory' Michael Ruse-Evolution, causality, and freedom' Franz M. Wuketits-Collective action and the selection of rules' Michael Schmid-Learning and the evolution of social systems' Klaus Eder-Evolution and political control' Peter A. Corning-Media and markets' Bernd Giesen-The self as a parasite' Richard Pieper. ISBN-\3: 978-94-010-8277-8 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-4005-5 001: 10.1007/978-94-009-4005-5 1. Social evolution. I. Schmid, Michael, 1943- . II. Wuketits, Franz M. III. Series. GN360.E92 1987 573.2-dc19 87-23584 CIP Published by D. Reidel Publishing Company, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, Holland. Sold and distributed in the U.S.A. and Canada by Kluwer Academic Publishers, 101 Philip Drive, Assinippi Park, Nopell, MA 02061, U.S.A. In all other countries, sold and distributed by Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, P.O. Box 322,3300 AH Dordrecht, Holland. All Rights Reserved © 1987 by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1987 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ix PETER MEYER I Basic Structures in Human Action. On the Relevance of Bio-Social Categories for· Social Theory 1 I. The Problem 1 II. Some Preconditions of Behavioural Patterns 2 III. Taking Phenotypes Seriously: Critical Remarks on Sociobiology 5 IV. Secondary Type Explanations do not Explain away Primary Type Explanations 9 V. Biosociology: A Levels Model of Man 12 VI. The Incest Taboo: A Biosociological View IS VII. The Human Biogram and the Role of Cultural Institutions 17 VIII. Conclusion 20 Notes 21 MICHAEL RUSE / Evolutionary Models and Social Theory. Prospects and Problems 23 I. Introduction 23 II. Social Darwinism 24 III. Animal Sociobiology 28 IV. Human Sociobiology 31 V. The Evolution of Morality 33 VI. The Status of Morality 37 VII. Relativism ? 40 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS VIII. Relatives, Friends, and Strangers 42 IX. Prospects 44 X. Conclusion 47 FRANZ M. WUKETITS I Evolution, Causality and Human Freedom. The Open Society from a Biological Point of View 49 I. Introduction 49 II. The Systems-Theoretic Approach to Evolution: Darwin and Beyond 51 III. The Evolution of Man: Beyond Determination and Destiny 59 IV. The Evolution of Man: Beyond Physicalism and Mentalism 62 V. Evolution and the Open Society 67 VI. Conclusion 75 Notes 75 MICHAEL SCHMID I Collective Action and the Selection of Rules. Some Notes on the Evolutionary Paradigm in Social Theory 79 I. On the Genesis of the Social Theory of Evolution 79 II. The Logical Structure of a Theory of Structural Selection 83 III. An Action-Theoretical Interpretation of the Theory of Structural Selection 85 IV. The Heuristics of the Theory of Structural Selection 91 V. Conclusion 98 Notes 99 TABLE OF CONTENTS vii KLAUS EDER / Learning and the Evolution of Social Systems. An Epigenetic Perspective 101 I. Evolution and the Role of the Epigenetic System 101 II. Epigenesis and Evolution in Sociological Theorizing 103 III. Epigenetic Developments and Social Evolution 111 IV. An Epigenetic Theory of the Formation of the State 115 V. Conclusion 123 Notes 125 PETER A. CORNING / Evolution and Political Control. A Synopsis of a General Theory of Politics 127 I. Introduction 127 II. The Theoretical Problem 128 III. Evolutionary Causation 130 IV. Functional Synergism 132 V. The Cybernetic Model 138 VI. A General Theory of Politics 142 VII. Some Theoretical Implications 157 VIII. Conclusion 169 BERNHARD GIESEN / Media and Markets 171 I. Introduction 171 II. The Selectionist Program 172 III. Money and Language: Two Models for General Media of Interaction 176 IV. The Institutionalization of the Media Codes: Structural Requirements 177 V. Communities, Hierarchies and Markets 179 VI. Political, Socially Intergrative and Scientific viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Markets 183 VII. Concluding Remarks: Media Between Inflation and Deflation 192 Notes 194 RICHARD PIEPER / The Self as a Parasite. A Sociological Criticism of Popper's Theory of Evolution 195 I. Introduction 195 II. Dualism, Trialism or Pluralism? 198 III. Descarters' Problem 203 IV. Propensities as Collective Social Forces: Durkheim 209 V. The Self as a Parasite 214 VI. Epistemology and the Knowing Subject 220 Notes 222 BIBLIOGRAPHY 225 INDEX OF NAMES 255 INDEX OF SUBJECTS 261 PREFACE In retrospect the 19th century tmdoubtedly seems to be the century of evolutionism. The 'discovery of time' and therewith the experience of variability was made by many sciences: not only historians worked on the elaboration and interpretation of this discovery, but also physicists, geographers, biologists and economists, demographers, archaelogists, and even philosophers. The successful empirical fotmdation of evolutive processes by Darwin and his disciples suggested Herbert Spencer's vigorously pursued efforts in searching for an extensive' catalogue of prime and deduced evolutionary principles that would allow to integrate the most different disciplines of natural and social sciences as well as the efforts of philosophers of ethics and epistemologists. Soon it became evident, however, that the claim for integration anticipated by far the actual results of these different disciplines. Darwin s theory suffered I from the fact that in the beginning a hereditary factor which could have supported his theory could not be detected, while the gainings of grotmd in the social sciences got lost in consequence of the completely ahistorical or biologistic speculations of some representatives of the evolutionary research programm and common socialdarwinistic misinterpretations. In the social sciences the influence of evolutionary ideas was extensively narrowed by ftmctional analysis which engaged in the development of equilibrium theories whose logic allowed to describe processes of reproduction but not of transformation, and consequently the historical sciences succeeded in insisting upon the necessity of applying completely independent methods of research leading away from other social sciences. In absence of empirically realizable models the attempts to develop an evolutionary philosophy came to nothing and merely were suspended considering the breakthrough of logical positivism towards evolutionary ethics had to face the still current argument that (normative and ethical) questions of evaluation, in whose reply the academic philosophy declared itself competent, could not be solved wi th reference to the history of evolution. ix PREFACE Despite of these important objections the evolutionary research program succeeded in disentangling from these restrictions. Darwin's theory found a micro-biological basis in modern genetics, what led to a 'new synthethis' of the biological theories in the middle of the fourties and actually seems no more than marginally endangered. In the late fifties the evolutionary interpretation of social development emerged again, following the preliminary studies of social anthropology and social ,archaelogy that never had abandoned the contact to evolutionism. Later on micro-economics and the organizations theory remembered the importance and frui tfulness of selection theoretica~ models and quite recently macro economics has taken up the at times hidden evolutionary heritage. And evolutionary epistemology as well as new approaches to an evolutionary understanding of ethics won new adherents. This at first unexpected revitalization of evolutionary thinking was due to a number of extensive theoretical displacements. On the one hand it was pointed out unmistakably that the acceptance of evolutionary models and therewith of their basic idea of conceiving evolution as selective ~ess, was not to be equaled logically with models of an individualistic competition caused by limited resources. On the contrary it could be shown that in the context of evolutionary theory the stabilization of forms of cooperation based on division of labor could also be explained and that, moreover, there were various forms of reciprocal association whose conditions for reproduction and transformation could be identified successfully. The examiniation of interrelations between these forms of association opened a rich heuristics that could be elaborated with the help of ecologic theories. Any ideological commitment can be avoided in the range of these theoretical attempts. On the other hand an important lack of the classical paradigma of evolution could be eliminated. The antiquate model had always been confronted with the question, whether it was sufficient to explain the forming of structures and the increase of structural complexity only as the effect of external selections which allowed contingent variations to gain an advantage in reproduction. In this context neither the assumed r existence of successful processes of replication nor the demand for the empirical proof of all sorts of systems able for evolution were contested. But there still was the problem, how the development and the increase in
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