The informational gene and the substantial body: On the generalization of evolutionary theory by abstraction (original) (raw)

This essay critiques classical Darwinian evolutionary theory and its common generalization strategies by emphasizing abstraction's empirical context. It distinguishes between two strategies: one that relies on a hierarchical structure of biological entities, and another that simplifies this structure into interactors and replicators. The discussion highlights the limitations of these strategies and proposes that scientific abstraction should be understood in terms of empirical background theories rather than fixed metaphysical frameworks.