Evolution and Nebulousness in Theories

Barry N. Markovsky, University of South Carolina - Columbia

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http://www.uiowa.edu/~grpproc/crisp/crisp.html

Abstract

Social scientists have a clear choice in how they may approach theory development. One path leads to "nebulous" theories that lack any real explanatory power. The other path capitalizes on evolutionary principles of variation and selection, vastly increasing the chances for explanatory success. I illustrate these ideas by reference to "artificial life" programs, and discuss the implications for theory construction in the social sciences.