Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5130391 | Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A | 2017 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
Theories are composed of multiple interacting components. I argue that some theories have narratives as essential components, and that narratives function as integrative devices of the mathematical components of theories. Narratives represent complex processes unfolding in time as a sequence of stages, and hold the mathematical elements together as pieces in the investigation of a given process. I present two case studies from population genetics: R. A. Fisher's “mas selection” theory, and Sewall Wright's shifting balance theory. I apply my analysis to an early episode of the “R. A. Fisher - Sewall Wright controversy.”
Keywords
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Social Sciences and Humanities
Arts and Humanities
History
Authors
Alirio Rosales,