Corroboration and the Popper debate in phylogenetic systematics

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorBzovy, Justin
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeMatheson, Carl (Philosophy) Marcus, Jeffrey (Biological Sciences)en_US
dc.contributor.supervisorMartens, Rhonda (Philosophy)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2012-08-27T14:45:21Z
dc.date.available2012-08-27T14:45:21Z
dc.date.issued2012-08-27
dc.degree.disciplinePhilosophyen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts (M.A.)en_US
dc.description.abstractI evaluate the methods of cladistic parsimony and maximum likelihood in phylogenetic systematics by their affinity to Popper‘s degree of corroboration. My work analyzes an important recent exchange between the proponents of the two methods. Until this exchange, only advocates of cladistic parsimony have claimed a basis for their method on epistemological grounds through corroboration. Advocates of maximum likelihood, on the other hand, have based the rational justification for their method largely on statistical grounds. In Part One I outline corroboration in terms of content, severity of test and explanatory power. In Part Two I introduce the two methods. In Part Three I analyze three important debates. The first involves the appropriate probability interpretation for phylogenetics. The second is about severity of test. The third concerns explanatory power. In Part Four I conclude that corroboration can decide none of these debates, and therefore cannot decide the debate between cladistic parsimony and maximum likelihood.en_US
dc.description.noteOctober 2012en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/8484
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsopen accessen_US
dc.subjectCorroborationen_US
dc.subjectKarl Popperen_US
dc.subjectMaximum Likelihooden_US
dc.subjectCladistic Parsimonyen_US
dc.subjectEpistemologyen_US
dc.subjectPhylogenetic Systematicsen_US
dc.subjectProbabilityen_US
dc.subjectTestabilityen_US
dc.subjectExplanatory Poweren_US
dc.subjectExplanationen_US
dc.subjectAd hoc hypothesesen_US
dc.titleCorroboration and the Popper debate in phylogenetic systematicsen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
bzovy_justin.pdf
Size:
804.37 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.25 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed to upon submission
Description:
Download
Collections
FGS - Electronic Theses and Practica
Philosophy Theses and Practica