Abstract
There is a disagreement between Kenneth Schaffner and David Hull about the relationship between the biological theory of Mendelian genetics and the physico-chemical theory of molecular genetics.1 Schaffner believes that the logical-empiricist thesis about theory-reduction is, in important respects, applicable to this relationship and illuminating when so applied. Hull denies its applicability and its illumination — indeed, he has gone as far as to say that “ I find the logical empiricist analysis of reduction inadequate at best, wrong-headed at worst.” (Hull, 1974a, 12) and he adds that “ the conclusion seems inescapable that the logical empiricist analysis of reduction is not very instructive in the case of genetics. For my own part, I found that it hindered rather than facilitated understanding the relationship between Mendelian and molecular genetics.” (Hull, 1974a, 44)
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© 1976 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland
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Ruse, M. (1976). Reduction in Genetics. In: Cohen, R.S., Hooker, C.A., Michalos, A.C., Van Evra, J.W. (eds) PSA 1974. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 32. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1449-6_36
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1449-6_36
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