Methodological Individualism in Evolutionary Biology and in Social Science

Samir Okasha

Methodological Individualism in Evolutionary Biology and in Social Science

Samir Okasha

Department of Philosophy

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Abstract

Methodological individualism is a doctrine in the philosophy of social science, according to which all social phenomena should be explained in terms of the actions of individuals. This paper explores a parallel between methodological individualism in the social science and the debate in evolutionary biology over ‘levels of selection’, with particular reference to the arguments of G.C. Williams against group-selectionism. A number of facets of the parallel are examined.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Landscapes of Collectivities
Editors	Snait Gissis, Ayelet Shavit, Ehud Lamm
Publisher	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Press
Pages	245-254
ISBN (Print)	9780262036856
Publication status	Published - 12 Jan 2018

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This is the accepted author manuscript (AAM) of the book chapter Gissis, Snait B., Ehud Lamm, Ayelet Shavit (eds.), Landscapes of Collectivity in the Life Sciences, ©2017 MIT, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, (pp. 245-254). The final published version (version of record) is available online via MIT Press at https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262036856/landscapes-of-collectivity-in-the-life-sciences/. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Accepted author manuscript, 234 KBLicence: Unspecified

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Methodological Individualism in Evolutionary Biology and in Social Science

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