Article Title：Complexity, self-organization and selection
Abstract：
Recent work on self organization promises an explanation of complex order which is independent of adaptation. Self-organizing systems are complex systems of simple units, projecting order as a consequence of localized and generally nonlinear interactions between these units. Stuart Kauffman offers one variation on the theme of self-organization, offering what he calls a statistical mechanics for complex systems. This paper explores the explanatory strategies deployed in this statistical mechanics, initially focusing on the autonomy of statistical explanation as it applies in evolutionary settings and then turning to Kauffman's analysis. Two primary morals emerge as a consequence of this examination: first, the view that adaptation and self-organization should be seen as competing theories or models is misleading and simplistic; and second, while we need a synthesis treating self-organization and adaptation as geared toward different problems, at different levels of organization, and deploying different methods, we do not yet have such a synthesis.
Keywords: complexity; development; emergence; evolutionary explanation; explanation; probability; self-organization; statistical explanation
DOI: 10.1023/A:1012030402337
Source：BIOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY
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