The central thesis of this book is that the semantic conception is a logical methodologically and heuristically richer and more accurate account of scientific theorizing, and in particular of theorizing in evolutionary biology, than the more widely adhered to syntactic conception. In this book, the author outlines both the conceptions indicating the significant problems with the syntactic conception; explains and criticizes two influential syntactic-conception accounts of the structure of evolutionary theorizing. Thompson also argues that the semantic conception provides a richer and more accurate understanding than the syntactic conception of sociobiological explanation, of the testability of sociobiology, and of the role of culture and cognition in evolutionary explanations of human behavior.
- ISBN10 0887069339
- ISBN13 9780887069338
- Publish Date 11 April 1989 (first published 16 March 1989)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 1 August 2014
- Publish Country US
- Imprint State University of New York Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 160
- Language English