Causal Efficacy: The Structure of Darwin's Argument Strategy in the <i>Origin of Species</i>

Abstract

There are several interpretations of the argument structure of Darwin's Origin of Species , representing Covering-Law, Inference-to-the-Best-Explanation, and (more recently) Semantic models. I argue that while all three types of interpretation enjoy some textual support, none succeeds in capturing the overall strategy of the Origin , consistent with Darwin's claim that it is ‘one long argument’. I provide detailed criticisms of all three current models, and then offer an alternative interpretation based on the view that there are three main argument strategies in the Origin , all supporting the ‘causal efficacy’ of Darwin's theory. This interpretation provides both a more unified treatment of the text, and some important implications concerning the relation between general philosophical models of scientific theory support and specific historical cases.