The Metaphor of the Architect in Darwin: Chance and Free Will

In The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication, published in 1868, Darwin used the metaphor of the architect to argue in favor of natural autonomy and to clarify the role of chance in his theory of adaptive change by variation and natural selection. In this article, I trace the history o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zygon
Main Author: Noguera-Solano, Ricardo (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2013
In: Zygon
Further subjects:B Free Will
B metaphor of the architect
B accidental variation
B Natural Selection
B Charles Darwin
B Chance
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Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
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Summary:In The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication, published in 1868, Darwin used the metaphor of the architect to argue in favor of natural autonomy and to clarify the role of chance in his theory of adaptive change by variation and natural selection. In this article, I trace the history of this important heuristic instrument in Darwin's writings and letters and suggest that this metaphor was important to Darwin because it helps him to explain the role of chance, and gives an argument in favor of the free will.
ISSN:1467-9744
Contains:Enthalten in: Zygon
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/zygo.12045