"Reductionism and the Reduction of Mendelian Genetics"

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Philosophers of biology are among the most vocal critics of the view that scientific theories can be treated as sets of sentences. Many of them have taken up a rival view, the semantic view of theories, which holds that theories should be treated as collections of abstract models. Philosophers of biology have also challenged the idea that Mendelian genetics is being reduced by molecular biology. These anti-reductionist arguments are nearly always developed by treating theories as sets of sentences. Dr. Waters, under this research grant, will develop what is long overdue: a new conception of theoretical reduction based on the semantic view of theories. This new conception of reduction will be based on the idea that reducing entails providing deeper, but not necessarily simpler explanations. Dr. Waters will use this new conception to show how Mendelian genetics is being reduced by molecular theory. Thus, this project entails presenting new accounts of the theories of Mendelian and molecular genetics explicitly in terms of the semantic view, developing a new conception of theoretical reduction, diffusing standing objections to reductionism about genetics, and applying these results to show how molecular biology is improving and deepening our understanding of Mendelian genetics.