STVARANJE BEZ CILJA/CREATION WITHOUT A GOAL

Strateško mišljenje u evolucionoj biologiji/Agential Thinking in Evolutionary Biology

Abstract

In modern evolutionary biology, the representation of biological entities as agents that behave strategically is often used. Such an approach seems to operate implicitly with the traditional analogy between biological functions and human intentional activity. In the text, I analyze the implications of this research approach, and the central question is whether it implies the reintroduction of teleology into the study of living nature. My thesis is that the relationship between scientific research in evolutionary biology and metaphysical conclusions is ambiguous and that this is related to the epistemic status of its research tools. I will show this using the example of a strategic model in biology of cancer.