Abstract

GINNOBILI, Santiago. Función como concepto teórico. Sci. stud. [online]. 2011, vol.9, n.4, pp. 847-880. ISSN 1678-3166.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1678-31662011000400006.

This article proposes a new perspective on the attribution of functions in biology. The main idea is to consider functional concepts as primitive concepts of a scientific theory, such as the theory developed in Darwin's texts about cross fertilization. I will show that theories that use functional concepts in this way have characteristics that are typical of theories usually regarded as genuine, and I will compare my approach with alternative approaches about functions. In the reconstruction, I will presuppose metatheoretical structuralism tools.

Keywords : Function; Functional explanation; Darwin; Theory of evolution; Functional biology; Metatheoretical structuralism.