Publication: Fighting the good cause: meaning, purpose, difference, and choice
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2014
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Springer Science + Business Media
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Haig, David. 2014. “Fighting the Good Cause: Meaning, Purpose, Difference, and Choice.” Biol Philos 29 (5) (February 18): 675–697. doi:10.1007/s10539-014-9432-4.
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Abstract
Concepts of cause, choice, and information are closely related. A cause is a choice that can be held responsible. It is a difference that makes a difference. Information about past causes and their effects is a valuable commodity because it can be used to guide future choices. Information about criteria of choice is generated by choosing a subset from an ensemble for ‘reasons’ and has meaning for an interpreter when it is used to achieve an end. Natural selection evolves interpreters with ends. Surviving genes embody a textual record of past choices that had favorable outcomes. Consultation of these archives guides current choices. Purposive choice is well-informed difference making.
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