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Elliott Sober

Elliott Sober Quotes

Philosopher

Elliott Sober is a renowned American philosopher known for his work in the fields of scientific philosophy and epistemology. His research focuses on scientific reasoning, probability interpretation, and philosophical methodology. Born on June 6, 1948, Sober has made significant contributions to the field of philosophy, particularly in scientific philosophy.

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All Theory Ifs Selection Biology Claims Evolutionary Biology Groups Hypothesis Natural Thinking Different Facts Organisms Species Biologist Common Deism Evidence Example Metaphysical

Famous Elliott Sober Quotes

“I have spent a lot of time arguing that the theory of group selection is not the stupid, pernicious doctrine that many biologists once claimed it to be. The theory is not just conceptually coherent; there are adaptations out there in nature (like reduced virulence in some viruses) that evolved because there was group selection.”

Groups Stupid Theory Arguing Doctrine Selection Adaptation Viruses Pernicious Biologist

Author:Elliott Sober

“Our own species evolved under the influence of group selection, as Darwin emphasized when he discussed the evolution of altruism.”

Groups Influence Evolution Species Altruism Selection

Author:Elliott Sober

“Group selection and individual selection are just two of the selection processes that have played important roles in evolution. There also is selection within individual organisms (intragenomic conflict), and selection among multi-species communities (an idea that now is getting attention in work on the human microbiome). All four of these levels of selection find a place in multi-level selection theory.”

Humans Two Important Ideas Individual Process Community Levels Attention Roles Four Groups Theory Evolution Conflict Species Organisms Selection

Author:Elliott Sober

“The rabid opposition to group selection has now considerably subsided. In the process, the conceptual structure of evolutionary theory has become clearer, as have the relationships that connect different theoretical approaches.”

Different Process Groups Theory Approach Structure Opposition Selection Theoretical

Author:Elliott Sober

“Evolutionary game theory was originally developed as an alternative to the hypothesis of group selection; now it is clear that game theory models postulate group selection, even if they do not use the g-word.”

Ifs Use Games Clear Groups Theory Models Alternatives Hypothesis Selection

Author:Elliott Sober

“Another way to test hypotheses about adaptation is to consider trait variation across a group of species instead of focusing on the trait of a single species. Rather than seeking to explain why polar bears have fur of a certain thickness, one tries to explain why bears in colder climates have thicker fur than bears in warmer climates. The former problem is hard to solve, since it is hard to say exactly what fur thickness polar bears should have if natural selection guided the evolution of that trait.”

“Evolutionary biologists often avoid using the term "race" because there is so much racist baggage that comes with the term. However, they are often okay with the idea that the genealogy of human groups within our species can sometimes be inferred in much the same way as the genealogy of different species.”

Way Humans Ideas Different Sometimes Term Race Groups Okay Species Racist Baggage Biologist Genealogy

Author:Elliott Sober

About the Author

Born: June 6, 1948
Known for: Philosopher
Quotes: 52

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Theory Ifs Selection Biology Claims Evolutionary Biology Groups Hypothesis Natural Thinking Different Facts Organisms Species Biologist Common Deism Evidence Example Metaphysical

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