B10: Metaphysics of Evolution: Justification and Ontology of Generalized Evolution Theory

B10：进化的形而上学：广义进化论的论证与本体论广义进化论将进化论的三个核心原则--繁殖、变异和选择--从生物学基础中剥离出来，抽象并扩展到其他领域，特别是广义的文化领域（包括语言、法律、科学和技术）。本研究旨在探讨遗传工程理论的溯因可证性与本体论假设，尤其是遗传工程理论中最重要的分支--文化进化理论。项目B10的研究议程包括四个工作包。 WP 1将研究CE理论在多大程度上可以被溯因地证明为人类文化长期发展的最佳解释。假设CE理论有一个溯因的证明，广义进化的形而上学概念可以通过第二层次的溯因来证明。通用电气理论的统一动力学原理和本体论假设及其预测内容将在WP 2中制定和研究。 获得的信息结构或“模因”是CE理论的关键。他们的本体论的阐述是WP 3的任务，基于“模因”可以与（人类）大脑中的神经元结构相识别的主导思想。对于GE理论和CE理论来说，另一对重要的本体论概念是种群和（准）物种。虽然基于杂交繁殖的种群的生物学概念过于狭窄，不适合CE理论，但在生物进化（BE）理论中已经发展了几种广义的种群概念。它们对CE理论的适用性将在WP 4中进行研究。

B10: Metaphysics of Evolution: Justification and Ontology of Generalized Evolution TheoryIn generalized evolution (GE) theory, the three core principles of the theory of evolution − reproduction, variation and selection − are detached from their biological basis, abstracted and extended to other domains, in particular to the domain of culture in the broad sense (including language, law, science and technology). This project investigates the abductive justifiability and ontological assumptions of GE theory and in particular of cultural evolution (CE) theory, which is the most important subfield of GE theory. The research agenda of project B10 consist of four work packages (WPs). WP1 will investigate the extent to which CE theory can be abductively justified as the best explanation of long-term developments in human culture. Given that CE theory has an abductive justification, the metaphysical notion of generalized evolution can be justified by a second level abduction. The unifying dynamical principles and ontological assumptions of GE theory and their predictive content will be laid down and investigated in WP2. Acquired information structures or 'memes' are crucial for CE theory. The elaboration of their ontology is the task of WP3, based on the leading idea that 'memes' can be identified with neuronal structures in the (human) brain. A further important pair of ontological notions, both for GE theory and CE theory, is that of population and of (quasi-)species. While the biological concept of a population based on interbreeding is too narrow and unsuitable for CE theory, several generalized notions of population have been developed in biological evolution (BE) theory. Their applicability to CE theory will be investigated in WP4.