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. 2005 Spring;38(1):85-99.
doi: 10.1007/s10739-004-6511-4.

Darwin's Methodological Evolution

James G Lennox  1
Affiliations

Darwin's Methodological Evolution

James G Lennox. J Hist Biol. 2005 Spring.

Abstract

A necessary condition for having a revolution named after you is that you are an innovator in your field. I argue that if Charles Darwin meets this condition, it is as a philosopher and methodologist. In 1991, I made the case for Darwin's innovative use of "thought experiment" in the Origin. Here I place this innovative practice in the context of Darwin's methodological commitments, trace its origins back into Darwin's notebooks, and pursue Darwin's suggestion that it owes its inspiration to Charles Lyell.

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References

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