DNA, Inference, and Information
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8399438 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ulrich E Stegmann (King's College London, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2009-03-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0882 • E-ISSN: 1464-3537 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjps/axn041 |
| OpenAlex | W2059477835 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 20 |
This paper assesses Sarkar's ([2003]) deflationary account of genetic information. On Sarkar's account, genes carry information about proteins because protein synthesis exemplifies what Sarkar calls a ‘formal information system’. Furthermore, genes are informationally privileged over non-genetic factors of development because only genes enter into arbitrary relations to their products (in virtue of the alleged arbitrariness of the genetic code). I argue that the deflationary theory does not capture four essential features of the ordinary concept of genetic information: intentionality, exclusiveness, asymmetry, and causal relevance. It is therefore further removed from what is customarily meant by genetic information than Sarkar admits. Moreover, I argue that it is questionable whether the account succeeds in demonstrating that information is theoretically useful in molecular genetics. 1. Introduction2. Sarkar's Information System3. The Pre-theoretic Features of Genetic Information 3.1. Intentionality3.2. Exclusiveness3.3. Asymmetry3.4. Causal relevance4. Theoretical Usefulness5. Conclusion
Arbitrariness · Biology · Epistemology · Gene · Genetic code · Inference · Intentionality · Political science · Relevance (law) · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Gene Regulatory Network Analysis · Genetics · Origins and Evolution of Life · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science
Philosophy of Experimental Biology
Explaining Behavior
Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Science
The Philosophy and History of Molecular Biology
Information in Genetics and Developmental Biology
The Concept of Information in Biology
Genetic Information
On the Theoretical Role of “Genetic Coding”
Genetic Information as Instructional Content
| Citations per year | 0.47 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2011 - 2024 (14) |
| Highly cited | No |