A Priori Causal Models of Natural Selection

Abstract

To evaluate Hume's thesis that causal claims are always empirical, I consider three kinds of causal statement: ‘e1 caused e2 ’, ‘e1 promoted e2 ’, and ‘e1 would promote e2 ’. Restricting my attention to cases in which ‘e1 occurred’ and ‘e2 occurred’ are both empirical, I argue that Hume was right about the first two, but wrong about the third. Standard causal models of natural selection that have this third form are a priori mathematical truths. Some are obvious, others less so. Empirical work on natural selection takes the form of defending causal claims of the first two types. I provide biological examples that illustrate differences among these three kinds of causal claim.