TY - JOUR
T1 - The comparative biology of human nature
AU - Robert, Jason
N1 - Funding Information:
Unfortunately, despite significant interest in the driving questions we laid out, and despite the participation of excellent scientists, the colloquium was not as successful as we had hoped in meeting either of the articulated aims. Though the framing session proceeded as planned, the ensuing scientific presentations failed to address the key questions, but rather, for the most part, focused on the researchers’ own particular experimental data. Instead of reflecting on and justifying their research programs/approaches/techniques/choices, the presenters mainly described their findings. This had two negative effects for the colloquium: first, the primary, substantive aim simply was not met; second and accordingly, there was little motivation to support the more pragmatic aim, as no one was able to explain why more comparative research is a good thing for science or for society. (That said, the science presented was interesting and first-rate. I learned a lot at this meeting. But the content of the presentations was not what we had expected.) One plausible hypothesis to explain the failings of this colloquium is that, beyond their particular research paradigm, scientists may be insufficiently equipped to ask and answer conceptual, epistemological, and methodological questions about their research program—at least in this kind of forum. This hypothesis, if true, would be somewhat worrisome, given that much of this research is supported through publicly-funded grants. Another plausible hypothesis is that Maienschein, Logan, and I failed to motivate the discussion, or simply failed to elucidate the sheer importance of the discussion for contemporary biology and biomedicine. In case that were so, my brief here is to make the argument more strongly.
PY - 2008/6
Y1 - 2008/6
N2 - Model organismism-the over-reliance on model organisms without sufficient attention to the adequacy of the models-continues to hobble our understanding of human brains and behaviors. I outline the problem of model organismism in contemporary biology and biomedicine, and discuss the virtues of a genuinely comparative biology for understanding ourselves, our evolutionary history, and our place in nature.
AB - Model organismism-the over-reliance on model organisms without sufficient attention to the adequacy of the models-continues to hobble our understanding of human brains and behaviors. I outline the problem of model organismism in contemporary biology and biomedicine, and discuss the virtues of a genuinely comparative biology for understanding ourselves, our evolutionary history, and our place in nature.
KW - Model organisms
KW - Nature vs. nurture
KW - Neuroscience
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=47249165125&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1080/09515080802201237
DO - 10.1080/09515080802201237
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:47249165125
SN - 0951-5089
VL - 21
SP - 425
EP - 436
JO - Philosophical Psychology
JF - Philosophical Psychology
IS - 3
ER -